Death by 1,000 HR Policies

I've worked in human resources for a long time. So long in fact, that when I make pop culture references with our team, most of the group don't understand my jokes. I also discuss policies and procedures as tools to guide the culture of the workplace. I get the same blank stares on this too.

What Changed?
In my early hospital HR roles I held my policy book so close that you would think it was my version of a security blanket. It drove almost all of my decisions, helped ensure I was "following the rules" and never wavered! 

Um, that's not leadership by the way. I wish someone had told me that back in the '90s.

Those old school approaches to HR leadership don't mesh with the more sophisticated employees of today. Yes, I said sophisticated. Think about it, the world is dramatically different than it was when I was part of the "new generation of leaders" coming up through the ranks.

Now we have the most informed, most empowered, and most connected world ever. For those of us that have jumped on the wild ride of contemporary business strategies it is an exciting and wonderful period of time.

For my colleagues who still wish "being a yuppie" was a thing, you have sadly been left behind.

Relationships Rule, Policies Are (mostly) a Waste
The savvy leader today, regardless of age or experience, understands that their relationship with the team will define the organization's profitability and ultimate success.

How many of us have prioritized the experience our employees have working for us as our number one agenda item every day? Not the patients, not the customers, not the business partners...our employees, first.

Let that settle in. No one is more important in the universe than your employees. Now we should take that one step further:

- What would your corporate culture feel like if every employee felt maximum support from you?

- What would the turnover rate of your top talent be if they felt you would do anything for them?

- How hard would your team work if they knew they had miraculously found a job where leadership was completely focused on their success?

- What do you think your profits would look like with a super-charged team working hard for you every day?

How About You
The old world of finding safe harbor in your policy book is gone. Don't destroy your credibility and try to go down that path. 

No one...including me...will think that you're paying attention to the modern world. 

Employees come first. Employees drive our success. Policies are just (too many) words on a page. Which one will you focus on?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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HR Reflections: Learning to Lead

Crawling

It was all about that first opportunity...and learning what I didn't know. 

Laws, compliance, rules, policies, structure, control, process...that was good HR.

Then it was about managing...and learning what I didn't know. 

People, behavior, expectations, deadlines, accountability, communication...that was good HR.

Walking

Next it was about complex organizations...and learning what I didn't know. 

Corporate values and politics, the business of healthcare, governance, bizarre third party behavior, national perspectives...that was good HR.

Running

Later is was about thinking beyond my organization and industry...and learning what I didn't know. 

The digital world, social media, employer branding, national strategies that go far beyond traditional ideas...that was good HR.

Leading

Today it's about one thing: courage...and I'm still learning.

I no longer have time to focus much energy on those that are so caught up in their own stuff that they suck time and energy out of those around them. 

Those leaders have failed. They won't recover, and we don't have time for them.

There is simply too much ahead that must be accomplished. Maybe if I can be courageous enough, I can help make it happen.

How About You

Ignore the noise. Be courageous instead.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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We Only Need One HR Policy

I’ve been in human resources for twenty years. I’ve written, revised, edited, printed, emailed, posted and leveraged policies to make decisions over and over again. Too many times following the policies morphed into the focus of the work…instead of the work being the focus of the work.

Sound familiar?

We Need A Policy for “That”

My favorite policy of all time is the “policy on policies.” You know the one. It describes the proper format, headers, indentations, when to bold and not to bold, etc. Argh!

How has such a high impact function in the organization devolved into a paper pushing bureaucratic machine? 

It’s as if we in human resources believe we are the core business, when in fact we are the engine that fuels the core business. I’ve even seen policies called “Policy on ___.” 

Seriously? We love them so much we even put the word policy first! 

All for One and One for All

Here’s where I'm going with this concept. The noise, criticism, and candidly glacier-like movement that typically comes from HR relative to change must end. The one-policy approach can send a powerful message to the organization, that no longer will human resources hide behind a stack of excuses…er, paper…any longer.

Here's my human resources policy of the future:

“We will follow all applicable laws that impact our organization and will treat each team member with respect as we strive to be a truly world class company.”

Done.

How About You

One policy says it all. The only piece you need to ensure you keep track of is the consistent practices for various issues so as to avoid unwarranted discrimination or third party claims. Let’s start moving away from the paper, and get into the business of driving the business forward.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Give Me Something To Break

Sometimes the world can feel like it's closing in all around us. We work hard, implement contemporary strategies, and even call out those who are ignoring their leadership responsibilities.

And the more sacred things we break...the greater the noise level directed at us.

Face the Challenge

I've seen the same behavior happen for years. You've heard the comments...the excuses...which really only serve as a public validation of failed leadership.

"We are so special, we just need to keep doing things the way we always have"

"I don't understand why we're changing"

"I don't believe the world is so different...I know what works best"

It's painful to hear, I know.

Which Archetype Do You Work In

I find it fascinating that for all of the leadership posturing to protect one's job, attempt to demonstrate executive presence, or avoid looking out of touch, so many bright minds can struggle to actually lead effectively. Everything is different now.

Seriously. It's 2015. This terrific piece from Harvard Business Review illustrates how the world of effective leadership has done a complete 180 degree turn over the last five years. Were you paying attention?

How About You

When was the last time you broke some sacred glass in your organization? Is it better to allow things to drift and die; or, do the circumstances in your world require bold leadership? There are so few bold leaders who actually know what they're doing. Maybe it's time that you proved you are one of the few.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Social Risk?

In the health care industry we talk about risk a lot. Whether it has to do with patient safety, managing potential problems, or dealing with information technology threats, risk is a part of life. We don't have a corner on the term though, every business large or small has to deal with it.

But is going social a risk?

Nothing New

Much is written about the need for social media policies, guidelines, controls, and messaging in the corporate world. I think these are good ideas. Leaders and front line employees both need to understand the rules so they can do their work productively and appropriately. But is going social truly a new risk; or, is it simply the same risk we've always had in a more sleek package?

Know Your Stuff
One of the ongoing challenges when going social in any organization is the senior leadership's complete and total unwillingness to use and understand social tools. Far too often the nervous laughter and jokes accompany a question and raised eyebrow when social tools are being put to use in the workplace. What is also missed in that moment is that the social tools being used are building the brand...not tearing it down.

"If you don't use the tools you won't understand. How in the world can anyone lead when they don't know what they're talking about?"

Expectations
Perhaps I've set my expectations too high? Maybe I fell in to the trap of believing that because one billion people use facebook and other social tools that it might be a good idea to use them myself? Or it could just be that I have have a classic case of optimism bias? Regardless of the answer, I'm not convinced that going social presents anything so scary that organziations should consider not moving ahead.

How About You
Where do you fall on the social-is-a-risk continuum? Are you scurrying around your office trying to make sure you control every single tweet and post? Or, are you looking around your organization seeing hundreds and hundreds of potential brand ambassadors?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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