Guest Article: How to Get the Employee Experience on the CEO’s Agenda [eBook+Webinar] by Ben

Short version: I’m co-hosting an upcoming webinar focusing on the employee experience and how to get executive attention and investment in building your own firm’s employee experience. Read on for details about how to sign up and how to get a free copy of the new eBook!

It’s hard to turn around today without hearing about the employee experience. Virtually every vendor is laying claim to this concept, yet for most HR practitioners the concept is fuzzy, and for executives, it’s even more abstract. In that case, good luck getting support and investment for yet another “squishy” HR program that doesn’t impact the business… Seriously though, what is this idea of the employee experience, and more importantly, does it connect to the business in a meaningful way?

This question is the one my HR Federation partners, George LaRocque and Madeline Laurano, and I set out to answer. George and I will be leading a webinar on March 29th at noon Central to explore the concepts in the eBook and to dig a little deeper into the employee experience. It will be a fun conversation full of ideas to help you up your HR game. Be sure to register here for the session so you can get those insights. In addition, we’ll be giving registrants a copy of the eBook for free!

About the eBook

Our latest collaborative piece adds some much needed clarity around the concept of employee engagement. The eBook specifically looks at how to get the employee experience on the CEO’s agenda.

In the eBook, you can learn about how to connect key business metrics, such as innovation, revenue, productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee retention, back to this overall concept of employee experience. As any leader knows, having an executive-level discussion about the business will inevitably turn back to the data, and this guide arms you with specific examples to help build a business case for embracing and investing in the employee experience.

In addition, if you have questions about the employee experience (what is it, how does it work, why should you care, etc.), feel free to bring those to the discussion Thursday and George and I can address them in the flow of the conversation.

Article source:Ben - How to Get the Employee Experience on the CEO’s Agenda [eBook+Webinar]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: This Is Not the Edge of the World by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

The rollercoaster world of work is...

exhausting.
exhilarating.
maddening.
exciting.
frustrating.
rewarding.
the worst.
the best.

No matter what it is for you today, remember you're not living on the edge of your world. It's just the thrill of the ride. Hang on tight in good times and bad, and embrace every minute.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - This Is Not the Edge of the World»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Developing Internal Blogging Teams by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

So, you've finally decided to execute on a robust employer brand strategy. Your career site is actually a real site, not just a job list, you're pushing content several times a week and distributing it across multiple dedicated HR social channels.

Well done!

But you're still missing out on a great recruitment, retention and recognition opportunity.

Our People...Our Most Important Asset
So many leaders talk about how important their people are, yet I rarely see those same "important" people writing about their experiences at work. 

We tell stories about them, that is a cornerstone of any good plan. However, when was the last time you saw the actual employees telling their own story?

It's not as risky as you might think

Plan...then Execute

There are several basic steps that will serve as the foundation of your internal blogging team structure.

1 - Identify several employees who have an interest in building their brand, supporting the organization, and aren't shy! Align the team members with your organizational needs (recruitment, expansion, growth.)

How do you find them? Ask!

2 - Meet with the employees and describe your goals, do's and don'ts, and reinforce that they are not uploading content, formatting, or publishing. HR handles all of those pieces. They simply need to send an email "post" to you each month.

How do I support them? Stay connected, meet for coffee, and talk through their challenges!

3 - Make sure your bloggers have up to date LinkedIn profiles, twitter accounts, and hopefully, Instagram accounts as well. If you're going to be a blogger...you need to be in the social media space!

How do I make sure this happens? Meet with them and get them set up on the spot!

How About You

I've had tremendous success using this strategy, and you can too! It doesn't matter if you're a blogger or not. The goal is to differentiate your organization from the competition. Additional benefits include helping you to create a culture that truly recognizes and showcases your employees! Now, what are you waiting for?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Developing Internal Blogging Teams»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: How to Attend an HR Conference (and make it worth your while) [Podcast] by Ben

One of the greatest compliments I get from you, the listener, is when I have the opportunity to share something highly practical with you that you can use to improve your results in a powerful way. Today’s discussion is one of those.

Think about the last conference you attended. What did you learn?

No, specifically, what did you learn?

Research tells us that within a few days we forget most of what we hear in a single training session, much less a whole conference with a wide range of topics. That’s why today’s episode is focused on how to get the most out of the HR conferences you attend. Over the course of my ten-year career I have attended dozens of conferences, seminars, and events, and I would imagine you also attend a good number of events as well. Let’s get the most out of those, shall we?

Show Notes

Direct episode link: https://beneubanks.podbean.com/e/were-only-human-how-to-make-the-most-hr-conference/

For this episode, I had the opportunity to catch up with my friend and fellow Huntsville resident, Donna Quinney, about how she plans in advance for the content to consume and the best way to make it applicable when she returns to work. The specific example we discuss is how to get the most out of a user conference, because you’re often there for double reasons: not only to learn, but usually also to bring some of those learning points back to teach the rest of the team.

All in all, a highly practical episode with ideas that any of us could put into practice starting today. Fun stuff!

In addition, we talk about a workshop I’m running at the upcoming SilkRoad Connections Conference. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Donna and if you’re going to be at SilkRoad Connections this year, I hope you plan on setting aside some time for the workshop I’m running. Enjoy the show!

Connect with Donna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-q-6563a439/ 

Join me April 29th to May 2nd for SilkRoad Connections 2018 in San Antonio.

Article source:Ben - How to Attend an HR Conference (and make it worth your while) [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: #UltiConnect 2018: AI Means HR Can Be More Human by Ben

 

This week I spent some time at the Ultimate Connections conference in Las Vegas with the team from Ultimate Software (Twitter stream here). There were tons of product updates and great sessions, but one of the biggest takeaways for me was around AI and what it takes to build a great workplace.

During a recent event I was speaking with someone and she mentioned Ultimate Software. I said I knew the company, and her response shocked me. She said, “I wish I could…” And my brain jumped to the conclusion: “I wish I could get that software.”

However, her response was something else! She said, “I wish I could work there.” That, in a nutshell, embodies what Ultimate is all about. The firm is known within the HR community as a great place to work, has won virtually every award you’ve ever heard of (and probably some you haven’t), and has some pretty astounding Glassdoor reviews.

I mention this because the leadership at Ultimate gets what it takes to build a great company, and if you’re going to be selling software and offering advice to employers on how to build their own great culture, then there’s something to be said for having that squared away on your own side of the equation.

Back to the conversation at hand—Ultimate’s team sees AI not as a way to replace HR leaders and practitioners. The mission always has been and always will be “people first,” yet the constant barrage we get from news headlines tells us that all of our jobs are on the line thanks to robots and algorithms. The message Ultimate shares is the one that is a core focus area of my upcoming book on Artificial Intelligence for HR leaders.

AI can help us to be more human, not less.

The Need for AI to Change HR’s Current State

In your day to day, you probably spend a lot of time doing non-interactive tasks with systems and databases instead of interacting with people. It’s a challenge faced by HR teams everywhere.

The promise of AI is that we’ll be able to offload more and more of those administrative tasks in order to have time, energy, and attention to focus on those essential human tasks of collaborating, coaching, and influencing others. This is the ultimate (pun!) value that AI can offer and it’s the vision shared by the team at Ultimate Software.

To take it to a more practical level, because many of the conversations about artificial intelligence today are more theory than applicability, Ultimate’s system enables contextual help and advice for leaders, real-time analysis into employee sentiment, and more to really help HR leaders drive strategic decisions and actions at unprecedented levels.

It’s exciting to see the work that Ultimate has done to establish a foothold in this area and serve customers at the forefront of the AI adoption curve. It’s an exciting time to be in HR!

I’m honored to have had the chance to spend some time with Ultimate Software and their customers (raving fans) and thank them for inviting me to their event! 

Article source:Ben - #UltiConnect 2018: AI Means HR Can Be More Human»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: I Saw, Today by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I saw commitment today.

I saw dedication to patients.

I saw a team completely focused on a goal.

I saw preparation.

I saw real-time accountability.
I saw transparency.
I saw energy.

I saw follow through.

I saw transparency.

I saw communication.

I saw passion.

I saw priorities.

I saw teamwork.

I saw action.

I saw results.

How About You
What did you see today?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - I Saw, Today»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Lead Like a Human, Not a Manager by Jennifer Miller

In today’s fast-paced world of business is it possible to bring humanity back to leadership? A new book backed by research and co-authored by a Harvard Business Review contributor aims to answer that question for you.

In The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results, authors Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter offer a simple, yet compelling thesis for what makes a strong leader: it all starts within. Although the premise isn’t new, what makes this leadership book fresh is the amount of research that went into backing up their claim that it’s the internal workings of a leader’s mind that drives their effectiveness.

Hougaard and Carter write that three core mental qualities–Mindfulness, Selflessness and Compassion– form the foundation upon which leadership effectiveness is built. The Mind of a Leader draws upon an extensive literature review of neuroscience, psychology and organizational theory, and assessments of over 35,000 leaders from over a hundred countries.

The book lays out its central theme very well: As human beings we are all driven by basic needs for meaning, happiness, human connectedness and a desire to contribute positively to society. When leaders respond to these human needs with mindfulness, selflessness and compassion, they set the stage for a more productive work environment where all people feel energized and valued for their contributions.

How The Mind of the Leader Was Born

I first learned of Hougaard’s work with mindfulness during his presentation at the 2016 WorkHuman conference. Since then, I’ve followed his research with interest. Along the way, I met his colleague Jacqueline Carter. Both work for Potential Project and have extensive backgrounds in organizational and leadership development.

I wondered how the writing team moved from the topic of “mindfulness” to a broader, three-pronged approach to leadership. I reached out to the authors and here’s what I learned:

For over the past decade, Hougaard and Carter, along with their colleagues at Potential Project, had been helping leaders and organizations enhance performance with mindfulness. In recent years, they noticed that as important as mindfulness is for leaders, it wasn’t enough. Through their interviews and research, Hougaard and Carter identified additional qualities as core to enabling greater engagement, creativity and performance.

Here’s how Carter sums up the three elements of their leadership model: “To be successful today, leaders must be mindful – being present and attentive to their people’s needs; selfless – to model cultures based on growth and learning instead of ego; and compassionate – to show their people they have their back.”

In the LinkedIn article, How Leaders Must Lead for a Hard Future, Hougaard puts it this way: In a rapidly changing world, with hard challenges coming our way, we need leaders with minds who can respond mindfully, with selfless confidence and wise compassion.

Practical Tips for Leading Yourself, Your People and Your Organization

One of the best things about this book is the authors take what some view as “soft” topics and give concrete examples of how these ideas play out with real-life leaders. Not only are the excellent examples from a wide selection of industries and companies, the Hougaard and Carter also offer instructional “training” sections and “quick tips” for each segment of the book.

My Recommendation for The Mind of the Leader

This book is well-written, flows logically and provides excellent real-life examples of how to employ the three “core mental attributes” in a business context. For those who respond well to visual depictions, each of the three key sections has a corresponding matrix to help the reader ground themself in the concept. Although this book is written for those in leadership positions, the “tips” and “practices” suggested would be helpful for anyone wanting to become a more well-rounded individual capable of dealing with life’s stresses.

To learn more about this book, visit the book’s page at Potential Project.   Hint: if you scroll down the page, there is a video presentation that Rasmus made at WorkHuman 2017. It’s an excellent overview of the three key mental attributes of mindfulness, selflessness and compassion.

 

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of the book for the purposes of writing this review. Some of the links are affiliate links. Please form your own opinion about the materials I review on my website. Just because I liked it, doesn’t mean that you will.

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Lead Like a Human, Not a Manager»

Guest Article: 8 Reasons to Marry an HR Professional (From the Archives) by Ben

Last year my wife and I celebrated our tenth anniversary. Four kids, three houses, two sets of in-laws, and hundreds of silly arguments about toothpaste, dirty clothes, or what to eat for dinner later. And we’re still going strong.

Several years ago I wrote a piece on funny reasons to marry an HR pro. After having to pull out my HR skills to handle yet another conversation this week with my wife’s former employer about retirement benefits, this has been top of mind for me. So, what are the best benefits of marrying someone working in HR?

Reasons to Marry Someone Working in HR

1. You’ll never have to worry about your work benefits again. We know what questions to ask and how everything works. Just turn over the paperwork and we’ll let you know where to sign.
2. You’re going to get the insider tutorial on compensation. I almost feel sorry for your manager at your next salary negotiation…
3. We’re all about wellness, so you know you’re going to get some sweet gym membership in the package.
4. We bring home the big bucks… Okay, we bring home some bucks (hey, it’s about doing what you love, right?) :-)
5. You will learn 36 ways to get around that crappy policy your company just implemented. Policy workarounds are our thing.
6. We’ll tell you the secret to surviving with annoying coworkers. (Hint: there’s at least one at every company)
7. Want to cheer up? We have the funniest, weirdest, and best stories you’ll ever hear about the workplace. Did I ever tell you the time I almost was hit by a voodoo curse in the office…
8. (Submitted by my long time friend Kellee Webb) The network! Next time you have to look for a job you’ll have a great group of HR leaders ready to support you with their connections.

So, let’s keep it going! What other great benefits come from marrying one the proud HR professionals of the world?

Article source:Ben - 8 Reasons to Marry an HR Professional (From the Archives)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Indefatigable by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Persisting tirelessly.

I love the word indefatigable. I want to be that...every day...in everything I do. It is a word that needs to become part of who I am as a father, partner, friend, leader and person.

I want to, somehow, be everything. Is that even possible? My rational mind says absolutely not. But right now, I don't care. I want to think bigger than I ever have before. I want to believe that I can push myself...enjoy every step of the journey...

...and be everything. 

Foolish Path
The practical voice in my head says I'll wear myself out, or I'll get too stressed, or I'll not be able to keep up with my growing list of responsibilities.

But, since when has a "practical voice" ever led to a breakthrough life? I'll tell you when...

Never.

"Is wanting to explore a new awareness of my world...the whole world...a bad thing? Is this actually a foolish path to follow; or, is it the path that each of us wishes we had the courage to pursue?"

New Path

I'm not entirely sure what this looks like. I'm not even sure I can pull it off. But why shouldn't I try? Why shouldn't I challenge the ingrained societal messages about going too hard in life? Why shouldn't I say I'm going to make up my own set of rules, and the world can deal with it?

That feels like the path for me.

I don't want to be just another #HealthcareHR leader.

I don't want to be just another consultant.

I don't want to be just another good guy.

I want to spend my life kicking ass in every way possible. 

How About You

How hard do you push? How much is too much? When do you challenge yourself to take your entire life, not just your career, to a whole new level?

Maybe today is the day to answer those questions?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Indefatigable»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: The Secret to Great Team Performance May Surprise You [Podcast] by Ben

The way we have done business in the past–it’s not going to work in the future. The world is volatile, complex… There’s rapid change. We have to change ourselves. It’s not making a change with tech or tools, it’s about the soft things: thanking people, helping them articulate the mission, helping them with careers. We have to be hard with the business, soft with people. -Adrian Gostick

If this concept inspires you, then this episode of We’re Only Human is going to get you excited about how to drive performance within your organization. I believe so strongly in the ideas in this book that I’ve worked with the publisher to set up a contest to give away a few copies! Here’s how it works:

Want to win a free book? Share this episode link on your LinkedIn feed, tag me and 2 or more of the BEST people you’ve ever worked with, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!

Subscribers, click through to listen in.

Show Notes

Episode Link: https://beneubanks.podbean.com/e/were-only-human-24-learn-how-the-best-team-wins/

What does it take to win as a team? How do we encourage each of our people to deliver the best performance without taking a bland “peanut butter spread” approach to management? Is there a secret to what high-performing teams do differently from the rest?

In this episode of We’re Only Human, Ben speaks with authors Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton about their new book The Best Team Wins. Gostick and Elton have authored numerous books on team performance, motivation, and culture, and they are globally recognized experts in the field.

The discussion focuses on everything from collaboration technologies (hint: they don’t solve for team performance issues) to how to manage individuals in a way that drives engagement. In fact, the discussion even delves into micromanagement and the times that employees actually crave the attention of a micromanaging leader in their careers even if not in their daily work tasks.

Finally, the conversation wraps up by exploring concepts such as rapid onboarding of new hires to get them to full productivity, how one company pays new employees to NOT work in their jobs for the first 90 days, and the secret to how a NASA mission commander was able to lead a highly motivated and engaged team for months in close quarters without suffering a single dispute or issue among the team.

You can learn more about Adrian and Chester here: http://thecultureworks.com

Their book may be found here: http://amzn.to/2FVIsQ7

Don’t forget to share the episode to get in the drawing for a free book! Just share this episode on your LinkedIn feed, tag me and 2 or more of the BEST people you’ve ever worked with, and you’ll be entered to win your very own copy!

Article source:Ben - The Secret to Great Team Performance May Surprise You [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: I Walked Alone Into a Fight by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Community - a unified body of individuals

Team - a group of people with a full set of complimentary skills

Network - an association of individuals with common interests providing mutual assistance

Friends - one attached to another by affection or esteem

Colleagues - a fellow worker or professional

Family - all the descendants of a common ancestor

So Much, But...
We have lots of words that represent the resources available to us in life, and these resources come in various forms. 

Ranging from close family relationships, to our loosely defined networks (think 3rd level on LinkedIn) it would appear that we have an endless amount of support just waiting to be tapped when times get tough.

Untrue.

While we do have extensive connections across many places, platforms and people; we fail to appreciate one of the most obvious facts of our journeys. 

We ultimately travel alone.

Not Bad News...
Now before you click out of this post and move on, consider the following...

...there is a reason communities, teams, networks, friends, colleagues and families are in our lives

...there is a reason, that despite feeling alone, we actually are not alone at all

Are you with me?

When you feel the pressure of your corporate life dragging you down.
When you feel like your career has stalled.
When you feel like the personal stress and strain are too much to bear.
When you fee like it is all just...too much.

Remember that although we technically travel alone, we have been provided with an amazing group of fellow travelers to share our journey.

What do you think?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - I Walked Alone Into a Fight»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: I’ll be at #SHRM18 — My Interview on #DriveThruHR by Ben

Last week I had a quick conversation with my long-time friend Michael Vandervort on the DriveThruHR podcast. As one of the official social media team members for the SHRM 2018 Annual Conference, Mike wanted to chat about me, my background, and my current projects as a lead-in to the event.

It was one-sided (as interviews must go!) but if you’ve listened to my podcast We’re Only Human or if you’ve followed the blog here for any length of time, you might be interested in learning more about me and what’s going on in the background when I’m not writing blogs at upstartHR. We cover everything from my writing process for the new book to the triumphant return of the HRevolution event later this year. Check out the link below to listen in!

Episode Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drivethruhr/2018/03/02/meet-the-shrm18-bloggers-ben-eubanks

Article source:Ben - I’ll be at #SHRM18 — My Interview on #DriveThruHR»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Leadership Tips for Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace by Jennifer Miller

“I asked you here today to let you know where I’ve been for the past month. I was in a mental health facility.”

So began a conversation with a colleague that I admired tremendously.

His confession surprised me; we had worked on a long-term project together just three months prior. I had no idea he was suffering. Even more surprising was the ease with which he shared his news. Business associates rarely discuss the state of their mental health. But there we were, noshing on the lunch special at our favorite Chinese restaurant, discussing his condition with refreshing candor.

Gavin* explained to me that he’d not been feeling himself for many months; work pressures had been piling up and he wasn’t coping well.

“I reached a breaking point … I had what I guess you’d call a nervous breakdown,” he stated matter-of-factly. He continued, “I wanted to tell you personally because I value our friendship. And, I know that people are talking about it and I wanted you to hear it from me personally.”

What makes this story even more amazing is that this conversation occurred over 20 years ago. Gavin was way ahead of the curve in terms of transparency about his mental health. Today, the conversation about mental health has started to come into the mainstream with well-known people such as Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry raising awareness with their Heads Together program.

Even with these awareness-building efforts, there’s still a huge stigma attached to talking about mental health in the workplace. Though rarely discussed, mental health challenges are more common than you might realize. According to the Center for Workplace Health, “1 in 5 adults will experience a diagnosable mental illness in any given year” and only half of those with the illness will seek treatment.

The cost to businesses is staggering: according to the the World Health Organization it’s estimated that the global economy loses $1 trillion a year due to lost productivity associated with mental health conditions.

Few of us outside the counseling and psychiatric professions have the training or experience to know exactly what to say or do when it comes to issues of mental health. This puts leaders in a difficult place because it’s their job to create a healthy workplace environment — one that promotes both physical and mental well-being.

Would you know how to respond if a peer or direct report shares their story of a mental health challenge with you? Here are three measures leaders can take to appropriately support the mental well-being of their workforce.

How to provide a supportive response

The most important thing you can do for someone who shares their (or a family member’s) challenge with mental health is to stay nonjudgmental and supportive. Keep it brief and affirm their decision to come forward with the information. Try a supportive phrase such as:

• I hear you.
• I see that this is painful for you to discuss.
• I understand that is difficult for you.
• Thank you for trusting me with this information.
• It takes courage to speak up. Thank you.

Things to avoid when talking about mental health issues

Nobody expects leaders to diagnose or treat a physical condition such as diabetes, and the same goes with mental health. If your company has an employee-assistance program, refer the person to that program or to the HR department.

It’s also best to avoid giving advice, pep talks or stories of someone with a similar situation. Even if you’ve been in a similar situation, it’s not helpful for the other person to hear the details of someone else’s pain.

Reducing the stigma about mental health conditions in your organizational culture

Leaders set the tone for the way that people treat each other in their everyday actions. In the same way, leaders can create a culture where it’s OK to talk about mental health in the same way as one discusses hypertension, migraines or low blood sugar — all conditions that may affect one’s work day.

The Leading a Mentally Healthy Toolkit, compiled by a consortium of mental health professionals and business leaders, notes that reducing stigma will help people seek the help they need. Just as my friend Gavin calmly and matter of factly discussed his condition and treatment, leaders can normalize the existence of conditions such as anxiety, depression or post-trauma disorders.

At work, we don’t typically hide the fact that someone had open heart surgery or a cancer diagnosis. It should be the same for a mental health diagnosis. As the Center for Workplace Health points out, “respecting and treating mental illness on par with other medical illnesses is the first step to improving employee quality of life—the foundation of an effective workplace.”

As a leader, you have the opportunity to help pave the way for creating parity between how your organization deals with its employees’ physical and mental well-being. Keeping these three tips in mind will help you do so.

*Not his real name. Unfortunately, we are not yet at a place in our society where I feel comfortable sharing his name publicly.

A modified version of this post appeared as a SmartBrief Original and appears with permission.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Leadership Tips for Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace»

Guest Article: On the Brink of Lies by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"I've had enough of her...get rid of her today."

"We're fallen behind schedule...someone is going to pay!"

"That's ridiculous...go writer her up now. Right now!"

"That's why I have you here...to keep me out of trouble when I have to take action."

"We've lost confidence in you..."

"You're no longer a good fit..."

HR Leadership is Hard
I don't know how many times my colleagues have told me the following..."I could never do your job." 

Wait, what? Is HR that horrible? Is it so pressure-packed that our friends and colleagues can't even imagine sitting in our chair?

Wow.

So, why then do we put ourselves through that pressure-cooker? Why do we put ourselves out there for all the world to see (and sometimes criticize) and frequently thank us for helping them through difficult issues or projects?

I used to have very HR-ish sounding answers, full of cliches and jargon, blah, blah, blah. I don't think I feel that way any longer. 

As I...ahem...grow more mature in my career...my answer feels different than all the HR-speak I've pumped out for years.

Something Bigger
HR leadership is not the only difficult role out there. And guess what? I've told my colleagues I would not want to do their jobs either. Have you caught yourself saying the same thing?

Be honest.

Leadership to me...HR or otherwise...done authentically, honestly, and frequently with a mouth full of humble pie has to be done deliberately. It has to matter to us as individuals. Of course we want to make our organizations better. Of course we want to create an environment where people want to work and feel as if their contribution to the world matters.

Leadership...for me...is about doing something that is bigger than me, and staying committed to that, even when times get tough once in a while.

I've never heard of any effective leaders that didn't face significant problems in their careers. I'm no different.

But when leadership means doing something bigger than yourself, you don't quit. You don't deflect responsibility or run for cover. You pick yourself up, get your game-face on, and you own every damn bit of the problem. Only then, can you make the course corrections necessary to be successful.

How About You
Which leaders do you look up to? Have their careers been perfect? Have they always made the right call? Or, do they mean so much to you because in spite of their missteps, they never quit? Ever.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - On the Brink of Lies»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Workers Feel The Pressure of the Skills Gap Around the World [Podcast] by Ben

As HR leaders, we’re well aware of the skills gap. Hiring and retaining workers for key roles is what takes up a key part of our mental energy on a daily basis, but what about the workers themselves?

In a new report that analyzes global worker opinions, it is clear that the skills gap is on the minds of the workforce as well. But who is running point on this issue? Is it on workers to train themselves, diminishing the skills gap one person at a time? Or should employers take some responsibility, building key skills in the workforce to keep them sharp in our fast-paced world of work?

Check out the conversation below to learn more about the research and some interesting insights on how to resolve the issue.

Episode link: https://beneubanks.podbean.com/e/were-only-human-23-new-research-on-addressing-the-skills-gap-in-the-workplace/

Show Notes

The skills gap is a challenge for many organizations, but how do we address it? Read any news article and it seems as if the United States has a looming crisis on its hands around critical skills areas that we simply don’t have enough qualified workers to fill, and new research shows this is actually a global phenomenon affecting firms worldwide. For instance, 98% of workers in Brazil agree there is a skills gap, and two-thirds of them felt like it affects them personally!

In today’s interview, host Ben Eubanks speaks with Shelley Osborne, Head of Learning & Development at Udemy, about this research and how we can use it to attack the skills gap within our own company through learning and development opportunities. While the research shows that individuals are generally confident about the level of skills they possess, they also know that the pace of change and business today requires them to be constantly learning. It’s no longer good enough to get a degree or vocational training and be “good enough” to compete for jobs, promotions, and other roles.

To see the research, check out this link: https://research.udemy.com/research_report/2017-skills-gap-report/

This episode is sponsored by WorkHuman. Join me and hundreds of highly engaged HR leaders in Austin this April for WorkHuman, an event dedicated to helping HR make the workplace a better place. 

Article source:Ben - Workers Feel The Pressure of the Skills Gap Around the World [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR