the stigma of hr

My first job in HR was a masterclass in maturing, fast. 

I was promoted into the management team and was quickly confronted with one of the key balancing acts of the job: Championing the needs of the people vs Executing the vision of the leaders.  Depending on the culture of the business this is either like a tight-rope walk between Manhattan high-rises, or like a gentle surf in Muizenberg.  And depending on the mettle of the practitioner this is either where you win or lose the trust of the workforce. 

With 20 years under my belt in this arena, I know the average reputation of "HR".  It stings to be painted with that brush but I understand the stigma. At its worst, HR is ineffective and untrustworthy - not taking the real issues of people seriously.  Some might say - far too deep in the pockets of power to risk rocking their own boat of safety.  Far too shallow in their personal power to stand up for what is right. 

HR occupies a unique and privileged position, having a bird's eye view of the business, requiring extreme discretion, and holding the responsibility for issuing (positive & negative) consequences that shape culture. It is not a place to get cushy and hide behind closed doors. 

It requires maturity and a willingness to hold leaders accountable. It takes a healthy dose of personal power and clear values to say what needs to be said, advocate, change, influence, inform, act and shape a culture.  HR requires the practitioner to hold the tension: What do I know about our vision and direction that our people don't know yet? What do I know about general workforce sentiment that leadership doesn't know yet.  Or, how do I challenge a strategic decision which is not values aligned but extremely profitable? 

Basically, how do I use my very powerful position and voice, to create alignment, create change, or smooth out the sneaky wildfires of "us vs them"? 

In HR you can't have sides, you can't have favourites, you have to be in authentic service to the whole.  When I had the choice to pick "the whole" or pick "the few", I didn't choose to stay weak or safe. I choose the full potential of what HR can be... 

It meant choosing businesses and leaders with aligned values, as a start. 

I have contemplated this aspect of HR for many years, but it feels all the more amplified this week as world events reveal some long-hidden (depending on your vantage point) truths about power. How it operates, who it serves and who it harms. 

The fact is we all have power - unequivocally. 

It is our relationship with our own power, and with the power of others, that can define businesses, communities, even countries.  My encouragement for you today is to wield your sword in the world with precision, grace, and a fire in your heart.  Don't buckle or fold on your values ever and when you are faced with the choice, take the fork in the road that keeps you in alignment with your Self. It will always lead you to the right people and opportunities.