Tag Archives: Organizational Health

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What does HR really stand for: Is it Human Resources or Human Remains?

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Over a year ago I met with a group of people about an upcoming speaking engagement.  As we discussed the focus of my presentation I said, “it’s about putting the Human back in Human Resources.”

Immediately one of the men in the group got really quiet and after a few minutes he said,

I have been in HR for several years, I’ve attended tons of seminars and I’ve NEVER heard anyone talk about the HUMANS.

In the past few months as I’ve been publishing stories and lessons in an ongoing series about “The Real Housewives of Expat Men”, this subject has come up again.

The examples below are real and come from people employed with several different organizations.

Imagine…

  • Organizations that notify their people of life-altering changes with a two-sentence email with no details and no timelines, let alone any discussion, questions or answers.
  • Annual reviews that are delivered over a computer instead of by a live person, evaluating the recipient on objectives they were never told they had and leaving no opportunity for discussion.
  • Bosses that make decisions about their employees lives, don’t communicate those decisions and when they are asked about them, then play the blame game pointing fingers at the titled leaders above them.
  • Families that are days away from finishing their time overseas and have sold things, packed, said tearful goodbyes to friends, and have families at home excitedly waiting for them, that are notified two days before they are scheduled to leave that they won’t be going home now.  And as each day goes by their expected departure date continues to change.
  • HR never responding to emails or phone calls and then one day emailing the office and getting a response that says, “Today is my last day, I quit.”
  • Companies that emphasize that their policy is to make sure that EVERY exiting employee receives a survey when they leave the company – no matter why they leave.  However, when a boss fears the information an exiting employee will share, that survey is never given to the exiting employee even when they ask HR for it.
  • HR admitting that the exit surveys that are received are rarely looked at or used to evaluate leadership and organizational development opportunities.

Those stories make my heart ache.  So I reached out to friends with HR Backgrounds that are Consultants, and Leadership Experts and asked them three questions:

[Tweet “What does HR really stand for: Is it Human Resources or Human Remains?“]

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Never underestimate the impact of play on your organization

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Two days ago, Karin Hurt shared a post about the importance of play at work.  (Something I LOVE to do!)

Yesterday, I walked into the Bistro in our expat compound and witnessed 4 pre-school aged children playing.  I stood in awe, knowing that although 3 of those children have learned a common language, 1 of them had not.   And yet, in spite of the language barrier they all understood the game, and were completely engaged in the activity.

[Tweet “Play creates an instant bond and overcomes language barriers.”]

This morning my husband and I went on our first group motorcycle ride.  Minutes into the ride it became clear that the group we rode with not only shared a common language we don’t know, they also shared a sign language that helped them to communicate while they were driving and we did not know that either.  In spite of all that we did not know, we found it easy to learn the signals on the fly simply because we were “playing” together.

[Tweet “Play increases the speed of learning.”]

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The good, bad and ugly of: “I want it my way”

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Several years ago I interviewed someone that had a lot of impressive experience, someone that I enjoyed in many ways, but someone I did not endorse as a prospective team member for only one reason… My gut said that this person would consistently operate with this philosophy, “It’s My Way or The Highway!” And I knew that mode of thinking would damage relationships, divide teams, decrease effectiveness and impact customers.

Recently I’ve witnessed other situations where a group of people have been so focused on what they wanted, that even after a majority decision they used intense peer pressure, persistence, and manipulation in attempts to force their agenda.

So I’ve been pondering:

  • What causes people to behave this way..
  • When is it wise to believe in your vision so much that you absolutely won’t bend?
  • And when is it wise to leave your ego behind and seek a win/win?

This is what I’ve come away with:

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When Comfort Zones become Cliques – Leadership Quakes

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Leaders are human and surrounded by temptations to be comfortable. [Tweet “What happens when a titled leader struggles to stand alone? Leadership Quakes @GianaConsulting”] What happens when work friendships become so comfortable they become a clique? It can impact your growth, your credibility and the growth of your organization. How do you know when your comfort zone is holding you and your organization back?

When comfort zones become cliques: Leadership Quakes