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5 Simple Truths You Absolutely Must Remember When Climbing The Ladder of Success In HR…

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:55:50 +0000

by Alan Collins

http://successinhr.com

Truth 1 – Your education, HR certifications and smarts mean nothing…without ACTION.

Laurie Reiuttemann in her article, What the Hell is an SPHR? tells the story about getting career coaching from her boss.He told her that if she wanted to be taken seriously in HR, that she should go get SPHR certified.

So she did.The whole process took her about nine weeks.The result: Nobody on her job cared one hoot that she passed the exam.In my case, when I left Purdue with my masters in Industrial Relations, I felt on top of the world. And, in my first real HR job, I didn’t hesitate to tout my business school credentials.And, like Laurie, I found out nobody gave a rip.In fact, the more I talked about grad school, the more people ignored me.I didn’t start getting any REAL respect on the job until I got my freakin’ head out of the clouds, hunkered down and started getting stuff done. Stuff that really mattered.

There’s an important point here.It doesn’t make any difference if you have a genius IQ, plus an MBA, GPHR, SPHR, CCP and a PhD in Human Resources (if such a thing exists). You won’t make meaningful career progress in the real-world without taking action and getting results.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a biggest advocate on the planet for beefing up your HR credentials and engaging in constant professional development until the day you die.However, doing these things guarantee you nothing.The reason you do them is that they will make you a more confident and capable HR professional. That’s all.

There’s a huge difference between KNOWING HOW to do something and ACTUALLY DOING IT WELL.

Knowledge, capability, skill and intelligence are not all that important without action and results to validate them.It’s just that simple.

Truth 2 – You are in business for yourself

No matter how you make your living in HR or who you think you work for, you really only work for one person: YOURSELF.The big question is: What are you selling and to whom? Even if you have a full-time, salaried position in a Fortune 500 sweatshop, you are still running your own business. You are the “product” and you’re selling:

One unit of your existence (an hour of your life)At a set price (the associated fraction of your salary)To a big customer (your employer)Populated with consumers who must be satisfied with the value you provide (your clients).

So how can you become a more valuable product? It’s simple. Solve more problems. Produce more solutions.Companies love HR people who are proactive, flexible problem-solvers.

What kind of problems should you be solving? Simple. The problems that plague your organization or your clients the most.If you have the choice of pushing back, grousing and complaining about why these problems exist in the first place. Or jumping in the mix, positioning yourself as a “solution provider” and building your HR brand in the process. I say opt for the latter.

But let’s get real. Chances are no matter how much value you’re adding, if the business goes belly up, you can expect to get canned. But just because you lose your job doesn’t mean that you lose all your experiences, talents, ideas, leadership and determination. Again, you are a business.You are not your job, so don’t lose your identity in it.Your job isn’t your security blanket.Your business is.

Truth 3 – Happiness and success in HR are two different things.

I’m friends with a brilliant HR SVP who makes a ton of money. How do I know that? Because I saw her total compensation package published in her company’s 10-k filing for shareholders.

Every person I know, including me, considers her to be wildly successful. But guess what? A few days ago, out of the blue, over an informal coffee, she told me that she’s been depressed for the last 18 months.

Why?

“I’m burnt out on this job, haven’t had a real date in a year and I’m lonely. I’m swamped at work, out of shape and just haven’t taken enough time for myself lately,” she said.

“Wow!” I thought. “One of the most successful HR executives I know isn’t happy.”I also know an HR manager, who works roughly five levels below her in a different organization.Weather permitting, he bikes along the lakefront in Chicago twice a week. He collects antiques. And, is the most energetic and upbeat guys I’ve ever met – always smiling from ear to ear.He’s been in the exact same job for the past three years and loves it. He’s not worried about where his next promotion is coming from. He’s got a huge network of contacts and is confident that if he ever needs to find another HRM job, it won’t be a problem.

So while this guy is happy, I wouldn’t classify his HR career as the ultimate success story.The point: “What will make me happy?” and “What will make me successful?” are two of the most important questions you can ask yourself about your career in HR.

But they are two different questions.And they may have two different answers.You can be successful and unhappy.You can be happy and not successful.You can, of course, be both.Which are you?

Truth 4 – You will never feel 100% ready when an opportunity lands on your doorstep.

The number one thing I consistently see that holds savvy HR folks back is their own reluctance to accept an opportunity simply because they don’t think they’re ready.

When does this happen?Anytime.It could happen if you’re offered a “once-in-a-lifetime” big promotion to China.It could happen if you’re asked to lead the company-wide task force on improving employee engagement.It could happen if one of your clients, a powerful senior executive, taps you on the shoulder and asks you for some candid feedback on how she can work better with her team.In cases like this, it’s natural to doubt yourself and question whether you have what it takes.But the truth is nobody ever feels 100% ready when a big opportunity arises.

Why?

Because most great opportunities jerk us out of our comfort zone and force us to stretch ourselves emotionally and intellectually, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.And when we don’t feel comfortable, we darn sure don’t feel ready.Significant moments of opportunity will land at your doorstep throughout your career in HR.And, if you are looking to make significant progress in your career you will need to embrace these moments of opportunity…even though you will never feel 100% ready for them.

Truth 5 – Your good friends will come and go.

From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s easy to succumb to career pressures and refuse to set aside time for quality time for family and friends.Not Facebook time.Actual face time.Sure, it’s true that many people you meet in your life will just fade away.Most of your high school friends won’t be part of your college life.Most of your college friends won’t be a part of your 20-something professional life.Most of your 20-something friends won’t be there when…after many years of effort… you finally land that job of your dreams in HR.But some friends will stick.

And it is these friends – the ones who transcend time with you – who DO matter.Cherish them.

And stay in touch.

2 Simple But Deadly Career Mistakes HR Folks Make on LinkedIn — That Can Be Corrected In Minutes!

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:51:21 +0000

By Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

LinkedIn is the #1 online career advancement tool for HR professionals. Hands down. Nothing else even comes close.
Estimates of professional participation in LinkedIn range as high as 83%. So it’s the place to be.
But if you’re like a few HR folks, you may be making two very simple, but costly mistakes in using it.

Here they are…

1. You’re not findable.
Recruiters and headhunters get paid big bucks to find HR talent. And all of them use LinkedIn as their #1 source.
But you frustrate the crap out them by making it impossible for them to get in touch with you.
If they can’t find your phone number or e-mail address on your profile you are making their life a living hell.

They’re not mind readers. They like things simple, easy, and fast.
So get smart. Get your e-mail address at a minimum into your Linkedin profile. And preferably your cell phone number too.
If you someday want to land that dream HR job, make it easy for executive search professionals to reach you so that they can deliver it to you.
2. Your profile has job titles, but no story.

A bare-boned LinkedIn profile with just your past job titles does you no good and creates missed opportunities for you every day.
An incomplete profile like this doesn’t tell anyone anything other than you’ve had some jobs.
It doesn’t tell them what you can do.So today, right now, go back and flesh out a story for each of the jobs on your profile.By this I mean, along with those jobs you’ve listed, include a description of the results you achieved in the past. Three to four sentences for each job is ideal.
And, yes, quantify those accomplishments where possible. Numbers, not words speak volumes and help sell your value.You want your profile to grab people by the throat and clearly let them know why you’re remarkable and worthy of being in their network, contacted or referred.

In a nutshell…
These are two of the simplest mistakes you can make on Linkedin.
But they are also the most COSTLY…and EASIEST to correct!
So go get these two items taken care of right now, if you haven’t already.
Don’t wait until you’re on the prowl for your next HR gig to address these two simple issues.

It may be too late then.

Each day you neglect to make these simple corrections is a day in which you are getting overlooked for job leads, consulting opportunities, speaking engagements and important career contacts…any of which could lead to that ONE phenomenal HR job you’ve always aspired to have.
So act now.

What To Do If You’re Passed Over For A Promotion in HR…

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:30:33 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

There are TWO ways to deal with getting passed over. You could set up a follow up meeting with the decision-maker that rejected you and explain that they had made a mistake.While you’re at it, tear down the person they actually selected, indicating that this person has some major “flaws” that nobody else is aware of.Share your concerns that these flaws will make it a “challenge” for the new person to be accepted and to succeed on the job.Go even farther and let your peers and colleagues know about the horrible decision that was made, how the organization sucks and how totally unfair the whole succession planning process is.

And, if you’re Black, Latino, Asian, Female or Gay, subtly hint that bias played a role in you not getting the job.Or you could do this….You could be more gracious than if you’d actually gotten the promotion.You could send a note or leave a voice mail thanking the decision maker for the time they invested…and request a follow-up meeting to get more feedback on what you can do to be better prepared for such opportunities in the future.

Upon hearing their feedback, you might thank them, outline what you learned from the process and what you’ll be changing in the future.If you know the candidate that was selected and TRULY respect them, you could sing their praises to the decision maker indicating that a wise decision has been made and that you’d appreciate being considered for the next opportunity.

You might even go further and send a congratulatory note to the person who got the job sincerely offering your help and support.Now, a couple of questions:

1. Which one will make you more likely to be considered for next HR promotion, or to be the backup if the first choice leaves or fails?
and
2. Which one is most likely to enhance your reputation?I think this is a no brainer.But how many people do you see that opt for strategy #2?I believe the answer is: very few.But I may be wrong. What do you think?

Just Lost My HR Job – Now, What Do I Tell My Kids?

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:26:33 +0000

by Alan Collins

http://successinhr.com

I got this question by e-mail a few days ago from an HR director with two kids.I told him I’d post the answer to his question here.

Dennis, here you go… If you’ve lost your HR job, after you’ve shared the news with your spouse, then both of you need to agree on how to best tell your kids.While you can probably delay a few days before meeting with your children (which will give you time to put your emotions in check and gather your thoughts), don’t let weeks go by without taking action.

Kids often have a sixth sense when something is wrong, so letting them know what is going on, in an age-appropriate manner, is crucial.Here are some suggestions for breaking the news: Time the discussion carefully. You don’t want to unnecessarily distract them from important school activities. Make sure you tell all the children at the same time. You don’t want anyone to hear the news second-hand.

Be truthful. But don’t try not to overburden them with too many of the emotional or financial details. Make sure your kids know this situation is not anybody’s fault. Your children may not understand about job loss and may immediately think that you did something wrong to cause it. Or, they may feel that somehow they are responsible; so they need your reassurance in these matters, regardless of their age.

Don’t close off discussion on this topic – keep communications channels open. Ask your children if they have any questions. If they don’t raise any immediate concerns, let them know that their questions are important and that you’d be happy to discuss them further at a later time.Keep speculation to a minimum. Issues such as the possibility of moving out of the neighborhood or relocation are better addressed if and when they actually materialize.

Important: Let your children help. Don’t ask them to, but if they offer to defer expensive purchases or take a small cut in their allowance, let them (even if you don’t need it). It can help them feel like they’re contributing to the family in a meaningful way.Most important, emphasize to your kids that this is a temporary situation, not a permanent state of affairs. It will be a challenge, but with the family working together, life will soon be back on track again.

Dennis, hope this helps.

The MOST Dreaded Question You’ll Face in Your Next HR Interview…And How To Answer it!

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:24:22 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

“Frankly, I consider myself a Superman for this job. And so my only weakness is kryptonite.”That’s what an HR director candidate once said to our panel of interviewers at PepsiCo.He was just joking to ease the tension and I could empathize.He was facing an intimidating five-person panel of HR executives for a job he desperately wanted and had never met any of us.And to be fair, he was also responding to a question we asked him. A question many consider to be the single most dreaded interview question on the planet…which is…“Tell us about your biggest weakness?’When we heard his “kryptonite” answer to this question, we chuckled a bit. But when he had nothing else to say, all of us just silently stared at him like he had just admitted to being a serial killer.

He was clearly stumped by the question.Sadly, the rest of his interview went downhill from there and he didn’t get the job.I believe that one question completely threw him off his game. It stymied him. He wasn’t prepared for it.But that’s no excuse — he should have been.Let’s face it. We all have strengths and weaknesses as HR professionals.Superman knows that kryptonite is his weakness and so he avoids it at all costs.

However, you don’t have the luxury to avoid the “weakness question” if it’s asked in your next interview. And some variation of it is going to come up at some point in the interview process.So how do you talk about weaknesses when you’re trying to sell yourself?First, here’s what not to do: Don’t try to offer up a strength and position it as a weakness — “I’m a perfectionist,” or “I’m a workaholic,” or “I can’t leave the job at the office.”

That’s weak.

Just about everyone knows about this tired old tactic. It’s what most career coaches and interview textbooks tell you to do. You can probably get away with it with rookie interviewers. But savvy, experienced hiring managers and recruiters will immediately see right through this as disingenuous bull. And they’ll smoke you out quickly as a phony trying to evade the question.

So, what should you do instead?Well, let me warn you upfront that my approach to this is unconventional. But I believe it’s the right one.When I’m interviewing you, I’m not your enemy. So don’t treat me like one by trying to snow me with crap.If you’re a good fit for the HR role I’m interviewing for, I want to find that out and hire you … and if you’re not a good fit, I want to find that out too so that I don’t put you in a job that you’ll struggle with and even risk getting fired from.

It’s not good for me. And it’s definitely not good for you and your HR career — and that’s what is MOST important.Assuming you want to land a position where you’ll thrive, this should be your goal too — and honesty is more likely to get us both there.With that in mind, it means you should come clean about weaknesses.And guess what, I’m not going to be shocked to discover you have some — we all do.The question is just how your weaknesses fit with this particular position, something we should both be interested in.

Here’s part one of formulating your answer: Think seriously about your weak points or an areas that you’ve been working on developmentally. What have you struggled with in the past? What have past managers encouraged you to do differently? If you could wave a magic wand and add something to your list of strengths, what would it be?

And here’s part two: What are you doing about it?Your answer in the interview should consist of BOTH parts.It might sound something like this:“A few years ago, I found that I wasn’t as naturally organized as I wanted to be. Without a system to keep track of my major HR priorities, I’d lose some momentum on them and fall behind. So now I make ”to do” lists on my smartphone religiously and check them every morning and every afternoon to make sure that absolutely nothing is slipping through the cracks and that all my priorities stay on track. I carry my phone with me everywhere, because I know that without that current priority list, I won’t be as organized as I need to be.”

Or this: “I used to become frustrated and impatient when the work of other people negatively impacted my own HR projects and initiatives. Now I’ve come to understand that everyone has a unique contribution to make and I make an extra effort to help my colleagues with problems they may encounter in order to expedite our overall progress. I’ve learned that this more cooperative approach will deliver a much better end result in the long run for both my own project and the organization.”

I like these two examples because each one takes a developmental area you’ve been working on — disorganization in the first, impatience with people in the second — areas that normally would raise a huge red flag, and instead shows how you are neutralizing them as an issue.

Now, occasionally your interviewer might follow up with (as I sometimes do), “That’s a great description of how you overcame a weakness. Tell me about one you’re still struggling with.”If this happens, you should still use the two-part formula — follow up the weakness with what you’re doing to work on it.

It’s okay that you’re not perfect yet. No one is. The question is just how it will impact the job.

I know this absolutely flies in the face of a lot of the advice out there about not showing any real weaknesses.But I think that plays to the wrong goal.If you’re desperate and your goal is to land anything in HR fast!…then you’ll reject what I’ve recommended.

And that’s fine.

However, if you want to succeed massively in HR, your goal shouldn’t be to just land any old HR job.It should be to get the right job for you.One that you’ll absolutely excel and thrive in.One that excites you, consumes you and one can’t wait to jump out of bed and get to each day.And most importantly, one that will set your up the rest of your career in HR for success. Not failure.That means landing the right job for you.

And this approach helps you do that.So do your homework. Take stock of your weaknesses. Prepare in advance for this question. Use the “two-part” strategy above for answering it.You might even want to run your answer by a few of your trusted colleagues to make sure it sounds reasonable.Then go into your interviews with confidence.And you’ll handle the “kryptonite” question just fine.

Onward!

A Little-Known, But HUGE Mistake Most HR Job Seekers Make on LinkedIn — And How To Correct It!

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:13:30 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

One of the biggest mistakes I see HR job seekers make on LinkedIn is…

…with their headline!

To clarify, your headline is located on the line immediately below your name on your LinkedIn profile.
And it’s the first thing a headhunter, recruiter or hiring manager sees – after your name and picture.
If you’re on the prowl for a new opportunity and your headline doesn’t scream and make you stand out from the 2 million other HR people around the globe, you’re toast.With busy, overworked recruiters who are under the gun to find candidates for great jobs, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention.

If you don’t, they’ll just click past your profile and you’re SOL.owever, a good headline will stop them dead in their tracks.But most headlines for HR folks suck and here’s why…
1. They’re BORING AS HELL.
Phrases like “Results-oriented Generalist” or “Strategic Business Partner” or “Dynamic Problem-Solver” are used so much in HR, they don’t excite anyone.If your headline is full of these kinds of buzzwords, you’ll just be seen as a typical schmuck in HR, no different than anyone else.

2. They don’t SHOWCASE WHAT YOU CAN DO.Most HR folks just use a job title and name of their last employer as their headline.You are much more than just your last job.

Whether you are an HR generalist, specialist, executive, consultant, if your headline doesn’t clearly explain your “value-add”…or what you do makes other people and organizations better, most time-strapped recruiters will just click past your profile.
3. They make you sound DESPERATE.
If you’re in transition, don’t say in your headline that you are “unemployed” or that you are “seeking new opportunities.” You don’t have to hide or lie about this, but stating this upfront in your headline merely discounts your worth.In today’s HR competitive job market, you shouldn’t be passively sitting back hoping that recruiters and hiring managers will find you, anyway. You should be aggressively seeking out opportunities on your own.

In addition, no one gives a rip about what you are looking for. They ONLY care about how you can make their job easier and how you can solve their specific organizational problems.

So far, I’ve described what you SHOULDN’T DO.
Now, here’s how to create a more compelling LinkedIn headline:

Say WHAT you are.
Say WHO you help.
Say HOW you make their organization better.
Give PROOF that you are credible.

Here are some examples:

Talent Acquisition Executive who helps Fortune 500 companies quickly source hard-to-find IT & engineering talent. Clients include Apple & Pepsi.
Human Resources Leader who helps manufacturing and sales executives optimize & retain their high potential talent. P&G President’s Award Winner.
Organization Development Consultant who helps start-up companies grow their in-house leadership talent faster. Former OD executive at Netflix.
HR Generalist who helps corporate VPs measurably improve their staff’s engagement & productivity. Results featured in Workforce.com.

In each of these example headlines, you immediately know what the person does, who they help, how they help them, and why they are credible.

And each one differentiates you from the rest of the ho-hum crowd!However, these are merely quick examples and you can certainly craft one for yourself better than these.The 120 characters that LinkedIn gives you for your headline is valuable part of your HR career brand.So don’t waste this asset.If you’re in the job market..or anticipate that you will be soon…go make this change in your headline…NOW!Don’t get overlooked.

Onward!

How To Create Your Own Job Security in HR!

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:11:21 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

**A few weeks ago, Marissa Mayer (pictured left) left Google and joined Yahoo as the new CEO.
Shortly after her arrival she fired the VP of HR, David Windley.Following him out the door was his #2 HR exec, Talent Acquisition Leader Grant Bassett.Why did she do this?
Because she could.

That’s what you do when you’re the new leader and the stock price is in the toilet.And your biggest competitor (Google) is kicking your butt.And everyone says your culture is all screwed up.

You make massive change.
And that includes overhauling and shaking up the HR shop.For a company with 12,000 employees, she’s taken control of Yahoo’s culture and plans to personally inject herself into recruiting new talent.Whether or not these are the right HR moves to make (and they probably are) is NOT the point.

The point is she whacked one of our colleagues in HR and is making other changes that will affect the careers of others in Yahoo’s HR function.Now, what does this have to do with you and your HR career?

Everything.

It’s yet another public reminder of what you already know…
Job security in HR is non-existent.And that any security you have, you mustcreate for yourself.

How?

By embracing and following some basic unwritten rules – none of which should be shocking.
Rule #1: Realize that you must always be looking.
You’re always one new boss away from being on the street.
You are always one re-organization away from getting your hat handed to you.You are just one job elimination away from being pink slipped.If your company is in trouble, your risk of getting whacked from your HR day job increase every single day your firm’s s financial results continue to disappoint.
That’s just today’s brutal reality.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an awesome HR professional.Great HR people — from new HR managers to experienced CHROs — get canned every day, often for reasons beyond their control.So, even if you already have a great HR job, if you don’t have a plan for getting your next HR gig all lined up, right here, right now, at this very moment, then you’re an idiot.

If you go to work tomorrow morning unprepared to leave that afternoon, then you have your head in the sand. Always be mindful of the possibility that today could be your final day at your company.
You can be fairly sure that your current HR job is probably not your last.

But, of course, you know all this already.
Rule #2: Understand that loyalty is for your family.
Many companies try to foster a family environment to create loyalty to the organization.And, it would be great if this loyalty were truly a two-way street and was sustainable.
But it isn’t.

And, you and I both know it can’t be, if organizations want to continue to be competitive.
Like Yahoo, some HR jobs are removed in an instant, without notice, if the company concludes that that role (or person) doesn’t enhance the P&L — even though that family member was loyal.Again, whether you or I agree with the principle of this really doesn’t matter.What matters is that it happens, and YOU shouldn’t let things get to that point.By being too loyal to your company, you wind up being disloyal to those who matter most – your immediate family.Yes, I know. This isn’t anything new.
Rule #3: Have your resume ready to go at all times.
Some HR people let their resume or their LinkedIn profile get woefully out of date when they’re not looking for a job.
That’s nuts.Your LinkedIn profile and your resume are your marketing tools.You never know who will come across them (or want them) and you don’t want to miss a great opportunity.Most savvy recruiters do keyword searches on LinkedIn long before cold calling candidates or spending a dime on anything else.
So you want to easily make yourself found – just in case.If you’re not looking for work, you can let people know that AFTER they’ve contacted you.But make yourself contact-able. If you’re not sure how, here are some suggestions here.
Rule #4: Relentlessly grow your HR competencies.
Keep your HR skills up to date.

Attend seminars, conferences and workshops.Benchmark best practices.Accept work assignments that stretch you.Get coaching.Build your leadership capability.Embrace HR technology innovations and stay on the leading edge of our profession.Not sure which competencies to build, click here.

Don’t become a dinosaur…you know what happened to them.
Rule #5: Never stop building your army of supporters.
The best employment security you can create for yourself is having a thriving network of contacts, admirers, supporters and advocates.
These are folks who can speak up favorably for you and refer you to new opportunities…should you find yourself on the street in a hurry.This means that the absolute worst thing you can possibly do is to get too busy doing your HR day job that you neglect to build relationships outside of your current organization.
Adopt a rule to never let a day pass without doing something to grow or enhance your network, no matter how busy and back-logged you are with work.**

Take people to lunch. Put on your calendar coffees, dinners, after-work and networking events. Follow the strategies I’ve outlined in this article.
It’s 90% likely that your next job in HR will come through your relationships you’ve built.Again, I know none of this is new to you.

But every time you hear of situations like at Yahoo, it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself that only YOU can create your own job security.No one else can.But, of course, you knew that already.

Didn’t you.

18 Things I Wish We Would STOP Doing in Human Resources…

admin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:09:25 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com
I’m going to rant in this article so be prepared.
If we want to improve both the impact of HR and the success of the organizations we support, we must put our foot down and STOP doing some things.Below is my list of 18 things that I think are just plain asinine.

1.  Let’s stop accepting garbage in HR. Human Resources cannot be where people go when they’ve failed everywhere else…or can’t find meaningful employment. Let’s start demanding the absolute best and the brightest in our function, just like everyone else.

2.  Let’s stop cutting the “workers” before cutting the “work itself” and then pretending we’ve improved productivity. Sure, it’s looks great on the P&L. Wall Street loves that we’ve cut heads. But have we really improved the organization when 30 “survivors” are doing the work that 50 FTE’s used to do and are suffering in silence and so frustrated they’re suicidal.

3. Let’s stop creating workarounds for bad managers. Let’s start expecting them to behave like paid professional leaders. Let’s stop giving them hall passes to avoid giving performance reviews, adequate feedback or having candid career discussions with their direct reports. Our job is to help our companies work in the best way possible. We shouldn’t have to develop policies to make up for “managerial malpractice.” If they can’t or won’t manage effectively, let’s follow the medical profession model and pull their “license” to manage anyone, forever!

4.  Let’s stop using words like “human capital.” (I admit, I’m guilty of this myself, so I take the pledge.) Let’s start putting the “human” back in Human Resources where it belongs. Sure, we need to know the business and have financial intelligence. But we can’t TREAT people like they’re numbers in a Power Point presentation or “human capital” that can be sold off like a stock that’s in free fall.   They’re people, like you and me, with families, fears and aspirations for the future. And for most of their day, they choose to invest their time and energy in our organizations. Let’s remind ourselves every day that our unique contribution to the organization’s success is all about people.

5.  Let’s cut the HR and OD jargon, psychobabble and buzzwords — and say things so your grandmother can understand it. Let’s start using plain-speak. Put a kabosh to the acronyms, and approach every speech, every email, every presentation as an opportunity to show how brilliant you are using your own words and language! Imagine that your grandmother is in the audience. Naturally, she is a very intelligent woman since she has a grandson/daughter like you as an HR professional. Do you think she understands: organization effectiveness, intellectual capital, rightsizing, core competencies, bandwidth, and my all-time favorite: being strategic. How many regular folks do you communicate with that might be the same as your grandmom?

6.  Let’s stop taking charge of running the holiday party. I’m not suggesting that you be scrooge. But why should you be the social secretary all the time. You have a real job with real deliverables. Let someone else handle it like Finance or Sales. It’s their turn.

7.  Let’s stop pretending we’re shocked when employees unionize. When you work employees 13 days on and one off; then turn around and lay them off; cut their pay; reduce their benefits; then demand their total loyalty and commitment in an environment populated with Nazi supervisors…you can’t be surprised when they reach out for a little third party representation.

8. Let’s stop complaining about the lack of HR jobs. Stand in the bright lights where recruiters and headhunters can find you. They seldom search in the dark alleys. Join SHRM and the chapter in your city. Get access to every HR directory you can find. Ask yourself who would I call first if I were a recruiter looking for me. Make that person yourself, your friend and or a referral.

9. Let’s stop trying to network with our laptops. All relationships have flesh and blood…not keys and a screen. Linkedin is the the greatest tool ever created for professional networking…I get it and believe in it…but it’s just a tool….you’ve got to get out and meet people.

10. Let’s stop denying ourselves the chance for true greatness in HR. You don’t have to aspire to the HR C-suite or make millions in base salary in a Fortune 50 company to achieve greatness in HR.   Figure out what greatness means for you. It’s one of the single most empowering steps you can take in your HR career. There is no ONE way to achieve greatness in HR except to find a way to be spending your time doing what creates enjoyment in you and others. Do what you’re good at – what you’re passionate about. And, don’t think that the only way to progress is up. Just close your eyes and picture what would make you the most happy. Figure out all the details, then work towards it as a first priority.

11. Let’s stop working everyday and becoming more and more irrelevant. According to Dave Ulrich, there are six HR leader competencies critical for thriving in today’s economy. If you don’t master them, you’re Fred Flintstone in a George Jetson world. They are bulleted below. Are these in your playbook? If not, every single day they’re aren’t, you’re falling farther and farther behind.

Credible activist: Earns and maintains the trust of employees and managers, while taking proactive business positions.
Business ally: Possesses a solid understanding of the business financials, strategies, and context to make better decisions.
Strategic architect: Shapes the strategic story and guarantees it is translated into HR practices and leader behaviors.
Operational executor: Ensures things happen on time, every time.
Talent manager and organization designer: Shapes HR practices that deliver talented people and capable organizations.
Change agent: makes change happen and shapes new cultures that link the internal values to external expectations.

12. Let’s stop pretending that everyone wants to scale up the ladder. When many employees look up they see 100-hour weeks, meeting overload, blackberries on nightstands, and no time for friends and family. And it’s not only women who are saying no to the ladder up; men are as well. Many are opting to customize success for themselves, not climb someone else rungs. Do we have any solutions for this as HR leaders?

13. Let’s stop thinking that office politics is about backstabbing. The people who are the most successful at office politics tend to be genuinely pretty cool and nice. Office politics is about helping people to get what they want. This means you have to take the time to listen, figure out what someone cares about, and then think about how you can help him or her to get it. It does require having your ears open for when you can help. If you do this, you don’t have to trample over people or manipulate them. Your genuine, authentic caring will inspire people to want to help you when you need it.

14. Let’s stop thinking that doing good work alone is good enough. For one thing, no one knows what the heck you’re doing in your office or cube if you’re not telling them. So when you do good work, let people know. It is not crazy to toot your own horn–it’s crazy to think someone is going to take the trumpet out of your hands and do it for you. It’s one of the Unwritten HR Rules.

15. Let stop thinking that all you need is a good resume. You DO need a good resume but only ten percent of HR jobs come from sending a blind resume. Most people get jobs by leveraging their network. Once you have a connection, the person looks at your resume to make sure there are no red flags. So you need a competent resume and an excellent network. This means you should stop stressing about which verb to use on the second line of your fifth job. Go talk to someone instead.

16. Let’s stop promoting people to HR leadership roles just because they are technically competent. Sallie may be the greatest recruiter and talent acquisition specialist on earth. That’s not a reason – by itself – to promote her into a role where she manages a team of thirteen other recruiters. If all she ever wanted to do was to do her job well and make a little more money in the process…reward her. Don’t force her to lead a team, which she has no interest in and is killing her slowly. Solution: Promote people in the organization that have the technical knowledge AND have shown both the potential and interest in leading.

17. Let’s stop allowing butt-awful leaders to lead teams. Some managers in leadership roles are mean, surly, rude, offensive, and specialize in striking fear into the hearts of the team members. That’s great if you’re Lex Luthor or some super-villian in a comic book – but not if you’re a paid professional leader. Why is this allowed? The answer is always either “they get results”, or “they have been here a long time”.   In today’s competitive organizations, this is not acceptable anymore. The days of crime bosses are over. Let’s put our foot down and work with our organizations to require that all leaders lead with influence, clear expectations and inspiration…while still holding their people accountable.   Let’s stop sending the mixed message: “It’s okay for managers to treat you like scum, but we value you still.” Yeah, right.

18. Let’s stop allowing the top executives of the company to think that they don’t need development. In many companies, I hear: “Yes, let’s do diversity and inclusion training, but our Vice Presidents don’t need to attend.” Why not? “Well, they don’t feel that they need training and if they did, it would be an admission that they have skills they need to work on.” In many organizations, attending training is viewed as a sign of weakness. What the heck is going on here? Just because someone attends training, they’re weak? Shouldn’t the organization’s commitment to development be viewed as a strong point? Arrogance and ego are robbing executives of development that they need. The CEO must model a dedication to development and mandate that every executive get training and development annually. When the rest of the organization sees that executives are committed to development, then they’ll fall in line too.

As I look over most of these ideas, while most may not breakthrough ideas, all of them are things we should end…immediately.

What do you think?

25 Secrets Your HR Clients Will Never (or Rarely) Tell You About Themselves…

admin — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:48:49 +0000

by Alan Collins – http://successinhr.com

As an HR professional, the better you understand both the noble and not-so-noble thoughts buried in your clients minds, the better you can serve them.

Obviously, you’re not a mindreader.Nor do you play one on TV.So, here’s a list of 25 “less-than-loveable” secret TRUTHS you’ll never (or rarely) hear from your clients…

1. Deep down inside, it’s really all about ME.
2. I’ve worked hard to earn MY big title. MY life is really stressful and complicated. As my HR business partner, if you can help ME reduce that stress, make MY life easier or enable ME to get things done quicker, you become immensely valuable to ME. If you can’t, stay the hell away and don’t bother ME.
3. I don’t need you to be the best HR professional on the planet, but I do need to know I can rely on you. If you do exactly what you say you will do, consistently and without fail, then you’re a superstar in my eyes.

4. Having the guts to tell me that you DON’T know something makes me trust you. Just don’t do it too often. I look to you for options, alternatives and solutions — even if I decide not to follow any of them.
5. Although I don’t always tell you, when I’m facing a tough HR, employee relations or talent issue, having a calming and supportive voice like yours means more than you can imagine.
6. Even though I may tell you otherwise, I really don’t understand some of the e-mails you send me. Can you make them clearer and simpler? Can you drop the HR jargon and psychobabble and cut to the chase.

7. I want to trust you, but it’s hard for me to trust anyone. However, once you’ve won my trust and loyalty, the truth is you can screw up every now and then and I’ll forgive you. That is, if I don’t think you’re taking me for granted.
8. Yes, I’m a big shot in the organization, but I spend an awful lot of time being scared to death. Sometimes, I secretly feel like a lost little kid. I don’t admit it, but I want you to make me feel more secure with the tough, people-related decisions that I must make as a leader.
9. Sometimes I’m lousy at admitting I’m wrong. But I respect you when you do it.
10. You’re in HR. I’m your client. Though I like you, our relationship isn’t equal and it never will be.

11. I get crazy jealous if I find out that you’re are giving another one of your clients more value, more insights and more attention than you’re giving me.
12. I have no interest in hearing your excuses. In fact, when you offer them, though I may nod my head, it usually either annoys me or I don’t believe you.
13. I find myself endlessly fascinating.
14. When you’re pitching me on the company’s newest HR program, if it requires me to change rather than do it the old way, I need you to work harder at helping me justify it to myself. Deep down, while I believe in change, I don’t believe all change is good.

15. I love it when you share things with me about my team that I can brag about at a dinner party or to my boss.
16. I want you to do the hard work for me. And it’s even better if I can get all the credit.
17. I have the attention span of a gnat. Go too long without contacting me and I’ll simply forget you exist. Out of sight, out of mind…that is until I’m in trouble. Then I’ll wonder, where the hell you’ve been.

18. It infuriates me when you glance at your smart phone while I’m talking with you face-to-face – although it’s ok for me to do so.
19. I’m lazier than I would ever admit.
20. I’m more vain than I would ever admit.
21. I’m more insecure than I would ever admit.
22. Despite all that, I secretly think I’m smarter than most of the people in the organization. Help me believe that too and we’ll hit it off just fine.

23. I believe I deserve much more than I’m getting.
24. When it comes to getting the most from my people, I don’t always have the best answers or take the best approach – but I may not tell you. Somehow, you need to know how to get through to me when I’m wrong and help me figure out a better way.
25. I’m more selfish than I would ever admit. Like I said earlier, it really is ALL about me.

Now, some items on this list might seem cynical, but they’re not.So, what’s the point of this list?The point is, it doesn’t matter what kind of clients you have. Like you and me, they’re human, with their own flaws and embarrassing insecurities.
And the more you know…REALLY know…which of these25 secrets apply to your clients, the better you can POSITIONwhat you SAY or DO to gain their trust, their supportand their admiration as an HR professional.
That’s the point.

Having said that, do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to push back.