I was cleaning up the office that I use when I work onsite for one of my clients when I came across a stack of magazines. They were from HR Magazine, which is published by SHRM, the world's largest Human Resources association.
I love HR, but does anyone else?
It's been a while since I saw one so I started looking through them. And then I saw this one:
A collector's item, perhaps?
It's from 1999. Wow.
You can't see it in this picture but there's more to the headline than just "The 21st Century." At the bottom it states, "What's in Store for HR?"
Inside, there are various articles, all attempting to answer the above question. The contributors discuss the different generations in the workplace. They attempt to interpret the potential legal, technological, and economic landscape that Human Resources practitioners may find themselves in. Advice is offered on how HR and business leaders can best prepare themselves for these changes.
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades...
As with any attempt to peer into the future, some of what's discussed seems to be an extrapolation of (then) current information. For example, the idea that when Baby Boomers retire it will potentially bring about a shortage of skilled workers.
"From 2000 to 2020, annual unemployment rates fluctuate between 3.5 percent and 6.5 percent, averaging about 4.7 percent."-quote from an article within the 1999 HR Magazine
Back in 1999 I wasn't a HR professional yet. I wasn't focused on the future. My mind was on the present, which consisted of bills and building a relationship with my future wife. Oh, and the Y2K scare.
Were HR/business leaders at the time looking ahead? Were they preparing themselves and their workforces? And could anyone have predicted the last 14 years?
Terrorism
Global Recession
The rise of the global economy, particularly Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (the BRICS)
The United States electing its first African American President
As we've seen, the future is chaos. While we can get some things right, it's impossible to figure out completely. Regardless of how we may feel about the events that have shaped our current reality, it's important to never stop looking to and preparing for the future. We owe it to ourselves, and to those we impact.
How are you preparing yourself and your workforce for the future?
“Make it work.” I
love this phrase. It brings to mind
those hard-nosed, over-working small business owners who are keenly aware of
the limited resources they have. They
have little time for holding hands and for coddling employees. In essence, “You can’t do it? Then get out”
is the attitude.
The major metropolitan areas on the East Cost of the US that
I have engaged with throughout my career (Philadelphia, New York, primarily) are
full of small business owners. Many
first generation citizens built their businesses on the 24/7 principle of work ethic
with little concern for how much PTO they’ve accumulated or if there is an
ergonomic chair for them to sit. They
busted their humps and created an atmosphere of hard work above all.
And while I love this (work ethic matters!), I have also
gotten to watch these family-run small businesses push their children into
roles that they have little giftedness in or desire to do. The guilt of what a grandfather and father
have done to build a company sits on the son/daughter who is primed to take over,
despite the fact that the son’s/daughter's talents do not lean towards running this
business. These conversations are very
difficult for a son/daughter to have with dad; there is so much of a personal
nature behind it. A father might preach
the painful story of how the business began and the work it took to build
it. Guilt can easily set in. Ideally, the father will understand and
support his child's choice, but often I have seen a dismissal of such a desire and
a fatherly push to take over the company.
Perhaps it’s from this traditional thought pattern that some
management holds hostage employees who need to go. Companies can find themselves in the
unfortunate circumstance of desperately keeping employees because of their
knowledge of systems, processes or product despite their lack of cooperation
with other staff or overall lack of connectivity to the organization’s
mission. The employee has shown that
he/she is disinterested and demotivated, but because he/she has been there for
some time and knows everything, we have to just deal with it.
Managers have encouraged, yelled, cried with and threatened
these employees. And to the detriment of
some companies, some of these employees have been promoted through the years
and now serve in leadership-type roles (supervisors or managers). Why are these flakes promoted? How is it that the apparent reward of
knowledge solely over the full package of long-term connection is quality
enough to promote someone like this?
Companies find themselves stuck to do this. Well, get un-stuck!
Our places of employment are not Guantanamo. We are not holding prisoners, but employing
people (I know, some employees think the former, but don’t you believe
them!). If someone is not the right fit,
then plans need to be made to transition this person out. Employment at will is still a valid policy in
the US and is allowed to be used, as long as it does not conflict with other
legislation and policy. So, set up
knowledge-sharing opportunities so that those who you do see a future with can
learn from those who should go. The
words here are simple, but the action of them is tough. Managers think about the chaos that might
occur when so-and-so is fired. If our
employees are not prisoners, then why is management? The work-relationship is not about that.
If your father said, “you have to work this company and that’s
final,” there is more to work through emotionally and relationally rather than
just professionally. In our workplace,
most of our relationships are not familial.
We’re not disappointing two or three generations. Management has a job to do. Finding and keeping talent that will move the
company forward is part of our responsibility, just as moving out that talent
that is destroying or, at the least, stagnating the mission. And to be honest, we’re not doing any favors
to that individual employee who doesn’t fit.
Let that person discover what he/she should connect to in a new
organization. It’s okay; we’re not
their father.
Dynamic, collaborative relationships are desired. Most companies that I get to work with are
often eager to find professionals who understand how to make an impact with the
skill set they have while being respectful of the authorities in place
already. Smart employers often seek to
find these exceptional people with vigor.
So, where are these people?
Do they exist? After speaking
with some of the ones we get to work with at Humareso, I would say 9 out of 10
have become discouraged about the talent pool.
Whether it’s a non-committal attitude, a desire for a list of all
benefits offered by the company prior to the first interview or an awareness
that the depth of work ethic displayed falls short of what’s actually needed in
the workplace, these employers have dejection written on their metaphorical
faces.
People, let’s display what should be displayed, not just as
an appearance, but as a true picture of the qualities we possess. Do I think that all candidates fall into the
descriptors above? No. However, do I think that these employers are
wrong? No. They are responding to what they see. And remember, what they "see" is not always
viewable.
I sometimes wish that everyone’s skill sets could be viewed,
such as what a model has to do for his/her interviews. Show me what you can do. You can sit all day and tell me how great you are, but it’s better when I see you get up
and walk the catwalk. The tangibles are
visible. How do you move? What does your face do when you walk? Do you capture the look we want? It takes about 4 minutes to know. So, theoretically, can you show what you must
in 4 minutes?
Most potential employers conducting interviews say they can
tell within a few minutes if you have what it takes. So, if the interview is a half an hour or
longer, what is happening in the interviewer's mind? You’ve got to make a quick, competent
impression as an applicant. The
shortfall here is part of the reason that these potential employers feel that
there is a lack in the talent pool. They
struggle to know what you know because it’s not presented in a coherent
way. If you have four minutes, what do
you want to share? Practice.
OK, naysayers, I hear you.
“Yeah, but John, when I walk into an interview, I don’t get to dictate the
questions.” After years of witnessing
interviews, I would have to say that more than half of those times begin with a
potential employer asking one of the following questions to start out:
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
Why are you leaving your current employer?/Why did you leave
your last employer?
Why did you decide to apply for this position?
Why should we hire you?
Think about what you can do with the answer to any one of
these questions.Can you give them a
great snapshot of your competencies, personality and work ethic in four minutes
by answering one of these first questions?Heck, yeah (Sorry, I will tone down the language moving forward).Practice what that response is.Look in the mirror and work it out.
However, I have to address those who do practice the
answer. Can you act like you believe
what you’re saying? The words are not
the only important part, but the facial expressions, body language, inflection
and lilt in your voice, etc., too.
Robots are not attractive and will not communicate who you really are
(unless you really are a robot, and in that case, please be sure to check “other”
in the Self-Identification section of the application). Being believable is done when you are
believable. Crazy, right?
Authenticity begins with a belief in who you are and a
confidence in it. You might not be a fit
for every company, but you are a fit for a company. Your disillusionment with the process of
finding a job can be seen clearly in the first four minutes, even if you’ve
practiced your answer. The spark in your
eyes is dim, the life in your voice is weak and the enthused body language is
replaced by a slouch. Be prepared, yes,
but be engaged, too.
I do believe that the talent pool needs to get stronger in
certain skill sets (technology, written communication and mathematics) and in
presenting those aptitudes.I believe
it takes work to get the job you want to get.I don’t believe that you should just hope it works out.Rather, work it out.Do what you have to do to be enthusiastically
ready for an interview.Share with those
potential employers why it would be great to have
you as an employee based upon a clear and vibrant expression of your
competencies.Believe in who you
are.You’ve only got four minutes.
Deflection is an art. We can really get great at showcasing our ability to deflect responsibility and avoid consequences. In my life, I have known people who were great at this. Some might even say I know how to do this well. Perhaps they are right, but it seems to be such a requirement in the workplace that likely I've adopted methodology. Remember when Milli Vanilli were caught lip-syncing. And then we found out they didn't sing the songs that they won Grammys for. And then they were embarrassed. And then they blamed the record company. And then they blamed the pressure to succeed. (And then they released a demo of them actually singing? Just awful, by the way) Lots of blame being tossed around.
And why? Why is this the norm? Maybe some of it comes from the overbearing nature of some moms and dads (it's always about mom and dad, isn't it?). "Little Jimmy" could do no wrong in school ("it was that lousy teacher"), in sports ("the coach never gave him a chance") or in his first job ("it's the summer and they wanted him to work 8 hours in one day...the nerve!"). Mom and Dad could have meant well, but instead shut off the ability to fail, to stumble, to learn from his/her mistakes. Maybe it's because our society doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I work with many companies that are corporately held in another country. When those CEO's engage with US workers, they notice how quickly feelings are hurt. It's an oddity to most of them. Are we too sensitive? Maybe. I mean, just because I still cry at the end of every repeat episode of Touched By An Angel doesn't make me sensitive, right? But I digress...
It's not unusual for an employee to blame another employee or a process as the reasons why something didn't work or why he/she was unable to complete a task appropriately. There may very well be truth to what that employee shares, but does it excuse the employee from getting the job done? Some companies that have stagnated find themselves making excuses along with employees as to why things aren't working. We think that more policies, more parameters, more rules, more goals, more more more will motivated change in process, in employee attitude, in results. OK, America, how's that working out?
If you don't like that your employees do it, have you checked to see if they are learning by example? Of course, this is not going to be the case in all situations. There is some tough love needed with some employees. They need to know that it's not okay to just wait for everything to be fixed before they work harder, smarter, better. They have to be accountable to their performance. If something is not right, what have they done to bring it to the right channels or, even more so, to try to correct it? We want to encourage innovation, critical thought and a healthy work ethic.
But sometimes, as I said, the company leadership has fallen into an excuse-laden mode of operation. Once we find the right people, things will get better. Once the new product line is tested, we will start to make money. Once the economy changes, we will be in better shape. I cannot tell you how many CEO's have said or thought that a new political party in power would change everything. It's not Bush's fault your company isn't working out nor is it Obama's fault. Of course there are things we wish they had done differently to help US companies, but regardless, it's the company leadership's responsibility to make things work in the context of what is, not in what's wished for.
Survey the environment, study the competition, take financial management courses, work with experts...do whatever it takes to make your company great. If you are a business leader, take that role seriously and expect it to be hard. If you are an employee, figure out ways to make your job work the way it ought to so that you can achieve the results expected.
For all of us, life is not about waiting for things to work out. You probably won't hit the lottery. You probably won't retire at 40. You probably won't get your way in everything. So what does that mean? Blame? For our company? For our spouse? For our children? For our parents? Really, think. What does that get us?
Be committed to excellence, not blame. Be willing to own what you are not doing well and then decide to change. Seek help. Seek collaboration. Seek ingenuity. We're much better than blame. Divert those energies into something remarkably positive.
Comcast is pushing its new Streampix movie and television show catalog. There are promos aplenty with much of it being TV commercials. And its primary movie of choice to play in the background of the announcer's messaging is "The Breakfast Club." This movie debuted in early 1985. It's 2013 (barely). A movie almost 29 years old is the primary movie of appeal for current streaming consumers? Apparently. This movie has been shown hundreds of times on TBS and the like. It's sold thousands of VHS and DVD copies. And it continues to sell. So why? For those of you familiar with my deep love for Molly Ringwald, I will leave that aside as a reason (hard for me to do). Part of the appeal is the nostalgia of the 80's. Those of us who hit their teens sometime during that decade find that this movie, perhaps more than any other, defines our generation. The characters struggle with identity and their place in the world. The peer pressure, the temptations of life, the masks needed to be worn, the inadequacy of self - all of these are themes, still relevant today.
It's brilliant, actually, that Comcast is using it. The movie is a microcosm of life beyond the teenage years. Many of us work in places where we have to mask ourselves and pretend that all is well when it very much is not. And, to be clear, this is not necessarily an indictment on the workplace or company; it may be that your continued poor view of self haunts your everyday existence and causes you to maintain appearances using all of your energy. Letting your guard down is not an option and perhaps there is no real outlet for it. I am aware that counseling is available for the deeper issues; some companies have rather robust EAP's or even in-house professionals. However, the reality is that most of us won't use those available services or seek outside help for what we would call "it's just how I am." Going home after work and popping on "The Breakfast Club" while crying might be all the therapy needed. I have experienced workplaces where the demand is great and the care for people is not. I have also been at workplaces where the care for people is high, but the facade to be okay and participate with others is crushing. Not everyone is the "kum ba yah" type to be okay with HR's latest and greatest team building program. HR can encourage, albeit unintentionally, poor self-esteem (I can't do what these people can do), dishonesty (a lack of people being able to be genuine) or compartmentalization (I need to work a certain way and fit into a certain box). Let's not be offended by this. Let that go. It's not about you. It's about the companies we work for and the employees we serve. So, ask yourself, what have I forgotten about people that I need to re-learn? Take some time to consider your company to jar your memory. Does peer pressure still exist at work? Is it positive in that it's about performance and cultural health? Or is it about high school groupings all over again? Who are the Cool Crowd and how do they keep the Dorks out? How do people sit in the breakroom? Look, this is just one stream of thought - there are MANY to consider. But we ought to think about the Ally Sheedy's and Anthony Michael Hall's of our companies. Where do they fit and are they fitting well? Don't forget about them. And yet, I would also submit that the Molly Ringwald's and Emilio Estevez's don't have it all together either. And sometimes, we in HR feed those roles and allow little room for them to say, "Enough!" We build programs around the funny guys, rather than around significant content. so that we get a visceral response to affirm our own existence at work - close your mouth and don't pretend to be shocked. I have seen this done numerous times and I am sure it will continue. It's the same line of thinking around some who desire to be seen as "experts" or "thought leaders." Posting and re-tweeting "smart" stuff doesn't really make you either an expert or a leader (ouch). I am driven to always come back to the people we serve. We have to consider all of them and how they fit together. "The Breakfast Club" works well because we see the roles each one plays, the walls come down and true relationship emerges, but here's the reality - they went back to school on Monday and assuredly re-acclimated to their role. They may hate it, but they do it. Adults do it, too. Fitting in and finding your place means something to every person (don't even pretend it doesn't - even non-conformists hang out with other non-conformists). Individual identity is precious and should be encouraged to be explored. If you read biographies about some of the great business leaders, you'll see struggles dealt with in these areas for each and the way in which they were fostered through it. We can consider this as we develop our programs and benefits, yes, but more so in our messaging and our recognition language. How do all of the pieces fit? That's our job to study. We are to create environments that will allow every person to be free to be the skillful, collaborative person we've hired. That's what our companies pay for and that's what we need them to be. And each person has a role. Don't forget about any one of them.
