Tag Archives: Passion

Nothing “Human” in Human Resources

human errorOnce a Vice President level colleague shared with me their perception of Human Resources. And I quote, “There is nothing Human in Human Resources.” Now I am not sure what prompted this statement, but I can only imagine. Pause a moment. Think of a decision(s) that has been communicated to your organization that might lend itself to this question.

I am sharing this because it set off a series of questions I began to have about my chosen profession. What this colleague shared with me really hit a nerve. This is the core and root of what we do. We touch lives in all our actions in Human Resources. Somehow, I believe this has been lost in translation.

When I thought about one single word that defines Human Resources it is compassion. Compassion means displaying, showing or demonstrating human kindness. It means Being Human!! Let\’s face it, there is a reason the profession is titled Human Resources. Right?!

Everyday a Human Resources Professional goes to work and we deal with issues involving human beings. Yes, there is much more – operational issues, budgetary issues, strategy issues, product or project issues – but they all have a single common dominator or influence – the human factor.

I have come to learn many things about what we do in Human Resources and I believe it can be summarized as emotional and social intelligence.

I have learned that as you advance in your career your compassion grows with it. You must treat your business colleagues, partners, employees, management or vendors with respect and honesty knowing that at times you are forced to make difficult, tough decisions. When treating others with fairness and integrity, your leadership and professionalism will prevail. Maintain and treat with absolute honesty without attacking the person.

During my career I have had to make extremely difficult decisions knowing that I\’m not only affecting a single person but quite possibly a family or community. But what has set me apart professionally and personally is my keen ability to handle people with compassion while executing these decisions. This is why I love and am passionate about what I do. And this is why it is imperative and crucial that HR plays a strategic role in an organization.

As you advance in your career, whether it be in Human Resources or any other profession, your ‘soft skills\’ become that much more critical, visible and what is cascaded down and throughout the organization. Your emotional or social intelligence is what sets you apart as a true leader, a visionary, inspiring and guiding people rather than a manager managing functions or operations.

Today’s guest post is by Michelle Chesnutt, PHR. With over 18 year\’s progressive human resources experience, Michelle brings a comprehensive talent to her profession.  Having served in various roles with increasing responsibilities, Michelle works best serving in a Business Partner capacity.  Currently she is seeking a HR Business Partner role in, preferably, a global entity with 3000+ employees collaborating with a segment or unit of the business and is open to relocation for the right opportunity.  She is described as a versatile, enthusiastic and dynamic Business Partner with an expertise in employee and management leadership and relations, employee engagement, communication and compliance initiatives.  Professionally she served as the HR Director and Business Partner for a global IT company in Austin, Texas.  Recently, she was appointed as AHRMA\’s 2011 Chair, Credentialing Committee of the Career Development Committee and also lends her time and efforts to the Workforce Readiness and Programs Committees.  Through her activities she has developed a fundamental interest in speaking, blogging/writing and teaming with others on various HR projects.
Feel free to contact her if you have something to share:
512-560-3029
michelle.chesnutt@yahoo.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellechesnutt

How to Find/Make Meaningful Work (HRYP Series)

I’ve talked before about meaningful and purposeful work. We all want to know that our work is more than just another hour wasted like a rat in a wheel. But how can we find (or make) meaningful work for ourselves?

(Note: this is a post in the HRYP (HR Young Professional) series. If you know a young HR pro, please pass this along to them. I\’d appreciate it, and so will they!) :-)

My Thoughts

I think one of the biggest things that can set you apart as a professional is to have some enthusiasm and passion for what you do. You can know all the legal stuff, be able to coach a manager, and document an investigation flawlessly, but if you don’t have a positive attitude, people won’t want to be around you. Continue reading →

Be Bodacious: Put Life in Your Leadership (Book Review)

I’ve been reading a copy of Be Bodacious: Put Life in Your Leadership recently, and it’s been one of the better business books I’ve read this year. I’ve realized that a good mix of “story” and “lesson” is what I enjoy in a book. While there are a lot of good picks out there, a good book needs something to tie it all together and make it stick.

bo·da·cious-adjective

-Thorough, blatant, umistakable
-Remarkable, outstanding
-Audacious; bold or brazen Continue reading →

Work with meaning and purpose

One of my passions, if you’ve never had the opportunity to hear it directly from my lips, is helping others to find work they love. When someone has a job that is meaningful to them, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. They can take something as simple as customer service and make it their own. I want to work with people who have passion for what they do.

Check out the video below and let me know what you think. Subscribers may have to click through to view.

By the way, I’m rocking my new favorite T-shirt from HRevolution in this short video. Thanks, Rypple! Continue reading →

Rules for New HR Professionals

If you\’re a fan of Fistful of Talent (I made it into the top 1 zillion blogs over there at some point or another. Boo-ya!), then you may have seen the recent FOTV video where Kris Dunn, AKA the HR Capitalist, gave his rules for new HR professionals to succeed. While he had to be succinct in the video, I had the opportunity to discuss it with him in person recently. He reiterated his points and made sure that I understood completely where he was coming from. His main ideas are in bold, and my own commentary follows each point.

Know HR and Execute

If you\’re going to build some credibility as a new HR professional, then you\’re going to have to prove that you know your stuff. If you are a dunce when it comes to HR matters, then no amount of passion or people skills will get people to follow your lead. If you have to take some classes, get your certification, or just do more in the area of career development, don\’t let anything stand in your way from being knowledgeable in the HR arena.

Have an opinion. (passion=credibility)

Too many HR professionals are afraid to put their foot down and stick to their guns. If you want to show people that you\’re a wishy-washy, spineless drone, then don\’t ever take a stand on anything. And let me know how that goes for you. Probably not well.

Another point that he made in the video was that passion equals credibility. It was a quick comment mentioned in passing, but it was the phrase that struck me the hardest. Passion equals credibility. Is that really true for a new HR professional? If I\’m passionate about something, does that mean that I\’m automatically credible? I can\’t say that it will always be true, but I could make the case that if you\’re sufficiently passionate about a certain topic (HR, perhaps?), then you would certainly be credible as well.

Communicate in multiple ways

All too many of my generational brethren are completely incapable of expressing themselves. Whether it\’s face-to-face, written, or just verbal communication, each has a definite impact on your ability to succeed as a new HR professional. Know how to express yourself verbally, nonverbally, and in the written form. It will make an amazing difference. I\’ve always written fairly well, but once I started writing on a daily basis, I realized just how much better my overall communication skills had become.

So, if you\’re a new HR professional, and you\’re looking for some tips on how to be successful, then I think you should be focusing on these items at the very least. I think you\’d be surprised at how much of a difference it will make in your own career. And if you have another rule for new HR professionals, then please drop it in the comments below. I’m collecting these for an upcoming project, and I’d love to have more input.