A Decade of HR

Human Resources entered my life 10 years ago, and it has taught me more than I can say or attempt to capture here. However, who can resist a top ten list? Here we go...

A decade of lessons learned:

2015 - You don’t have to have all of the pieces figured out. I took my first HR class with curiosity but not the intent to focus my career on it. However, this course changed everything. As a junior, I declared a third major and squeezed it in to graduate on time. Sometimes the best things find you rather than you finding them. If memory serves, it was also in this class where we spent a day building puzzles in teams without being allowed to talk. Much can be learned in silence. After the activity, the professor told us the reason no one finished their puzzles was because each was missing pieces. You don’t have to see the whole picture to make progress as a team.  

2016 - While being a matchmaker is great, recruiting isn’t for me. Instead, I want to watch people grow. After interning in industrial staffing, I knew I wanted to support later stages of the employee lifecycle. The next year introduced me to just that.  

2017 - Instructional design and live facilitation are so fulfilling! Fortuitously landing in global talent management, I discovered my first HR love – Learning & Development. The adrenaline rush and creativity had me hooked.  

2018 - Tie

• Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders don’t want pretty PR photos; they want to work with the best talent. When ERG leaders were introduced to a DEI strategy with ambitious hiring goals, they pushed back, saying as long as interview slates were diverse and the company focused on hiring the best qualified candidate, then they knew we’d hire a diverse workforce. People don’t want a hand up; they want a fair shake. 

• Get out of the ivory tower. Corporate HR can easily become so distanced from the workforce that we fail to perform as our people and the organization need. Each HR professional needs to take at least one role outside of a headquarters environment and meet the people where they are. The next year gave me that opportunity.    

2019 - Tie

• Go to the Gemba: Go to the place of work and watch the magic happen. Then, get hands on, ask questions and be part of the magic. When HR walks in, you should be greeted as a welcomed colleague. If you’re seen as a stranger, threat or police, then you need to visit more often.  

• Frontline leaders are hungry to learn, and they thrive in the face of challenge. Frontline leaders oversee the largest number of employees. Leading well at this level drives culture, engagement and retention. These junior leaders face an array of challenges and many are promoted prematurely, but they are resilient and surprising in the best way. 

2020 - Put your oxygen mask on first. Cheesy as it sounds - when tragedy strikes, resist the urge to help others to your own detriment. Find a balance. This is your life and your career, too. Don’t be an observer or supporter of others as a distraction to living in the moment yourself.    

2021 - Being a people leader is an incredible privilege. Allow your people to teach you new things. Seek to bring out the best in them. Give them opportunities to grow. Do and say the “hard thing.” Advocate for them in rooms they’re not in. Cheer them on when they move on.     

2022 - Find a boss who complements your skills, delivers feedback in a way that builds you up and has a way of turning your 90% draft into 125% success. Gone are the days where your boss will have always performed your job before. The key is to find one that grasps and respects what you do, trusts you to do it and will go to bat for you. Great bosses are rare but transformative. Relish the time and maintain the relationship even when that specific chapter ends.   

2023 - Your network is your net worth. Trite again, but so true! Your network builds you up in good times and can be critical during hard ones. Referrals for jobs and consulting opportunities move mountains.

2024 - Tie

• Stories unlock understanding. Tales are as old as time for a reason. Much can be taught and understood through the power of storytelling. Take people on the journey with you.

• Sink or swim via project management. There is not one “right way” to project manage; however, there are a million wrong ones. Plan well. Adjust as needed. Recognize that every project is different. In the face of poor project management, speak up and find alternate ways to succeed.

2025 - In the face of mounting technology and AI everything, stay people first. Yes, we know the difference between an AI voice and a real one. Tech is only as smart as the people behind it. Humanity is a competitive advantage. Use tech wisely.

To the Point

A decade down. So much more to go!