(by +Victorio Milian) A few months ago I went out and invested in myself--I bought a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera. It had been something that I wanted for a while, and I was finally in a position to take the plunge, so to speak.
My new camera.
I'm enjoying it. This camera is a big leap forward from snapping pictures using my phone. It's also more sophisticated than any camera I ever had. While fairly simple to use, the options available (to control and manipulate various settings, for example), make it an item that will test my abilities, in addition to my patience. It makes me excited and nervous to own.
My wife points out that I need to "grow into it." How do I do that?
Learning how to use this camera reminds me of a number of job roles I've taken on throughout my career as a Human Resources professional. Some were newly created, others were such where I replaced a previous HR practitioner with the understanding that I revamp or enhance the function. In all cases I started as someone who needed to "grow into" the role.
I had to quickly assess the function's strengths and weaknesses, as well as its allies and resources. I was important to gain a clear understanding of priorities--what institutional "fires" that needed to be put out, what goals needed to be met, and when--so that I could organize my time and energy as effectively as possible. At its core, to fully embrace the challenge of being in a new and unfamiliar position I had to be willing to commit to doing the work necessary, to literally and figuratively rolling up my sleeves. Without that it would have been easy to become overwhelmed.
Here are a few more tips on how a person can grow into a job role:
Humble yourself. Be realistic about your capabilities, commitment levels, and your goals. Come to terms with the idea that you will fall on your ass. Going back to my recently purchased camera, I'm doing my best not to get flustered when I take a bad shot (and I've been taking plenty of them!). I use them as examples of what's not working, and I adjust.
An example of an awful picture taken with my camera.
Take note of your successes and failures. With my camera, I've been taking notes of the different settings I've tried, paying attention to which ones are resulting in good photos. In my professional work, I purchase a notebook whenever I start a new role or work with a client. I write everything in it, allowing me a place to store (in one place) all relevant information and thoughts. Not only does this method help me to stay organized, it allows me to note progress over time. This is important, because it helps to provide perspective, particularly when you (or clients) may believe that adequate progress isn't being made.
Pace yourself. The temptation to work long hours in order to get acclimated to your new role is not uncommon. Be careful; something that was expected to be a temporary solution (working extra hours, taking work home, etc.) can turn into the norm if you're not mindful. My advice--create an action plan, one that factors in when and how long you may need to put in extra time and effort in order to accomplish a particular goal.
Use your resources--digital, human, and other--to figure out how to get the most out of the role. To better learn how to use my DSLR camera, I'm turning to a variety of resources, which includes:
YouTube
Friends
Family
Classes (e.g., YMCA)
Pinterest
Discussion forums
the camera's User's Manual
This can be applied to learning a new job role, also. From a workplace point of view, you have colleagues, subject matter experts (SMEs), and groups (such as professional associations) which represent sources of information and support. Use them--that's what they're there for!
Celebrate your successes. In spite your best efforts, it may seem as if progress isn't being made. Perhaps you're not making headway on a particular project. Or colleagues are frustrating. Whatever the case, when something does go right, acknowledge it! Sometimes it's the small wins that help to highlight progress, or that your work is having an impact. When it comes to my new camera, when I take a decent picture utilizing the manual settings, I get very excited!
A photo I'm proud of.
At one point or another, a person is faced with a job that they will seem new, unfamiliar, or bigger than they've previously encountered. Understanding the challenges and opportunities in that scenario will help increase the odds of success in that role. Humble yourself, be organized, pace yourself, use your resources, and celebrate success--these are some ways in which to grow into a job role.
“Noooooooooooooo!”
That shout when one of your key employees gives his/her
resignation. Two weeks, of course. Confusion, fear, frustration and panic set
in. What will we do? Why is he/she leaving us? Who is responsible for making this person
quit? Let’s find that person so that we
may substitute one separation from the company with another!
It’s no fun, but it happens.
Besides the knee-jerk reaction, there are important questions that
should be asked:
1 – What led up to this person’s departure? – There were
warning signs, even subtle ones. Longer
lunches to perhaps squeeze in an interview?
Wearing nicer ensembles to work? A definite change to communication
patterns? Less willingness to do that
little bit extra? Think back.
While reflection may not change the outcome, it is important
to become better at identifying the signs for the future. Being oblivious is not okay when it comes to
talent management. In the full picture,
it’s critical to manage your talent effectively, which includes
observation and action. Asking yourself,
“What should I have done?” is fine, but asking, “What can I do now?” is
better.
2 – How effective has support and accountability been? – Odd
question, perhaps. Truthfully, it’s
often the case that someone leaves because he/she feels like so much work and effort
has been done by him/her without reciprocity from other team members. Accountability keeps everyone honest. It also keeps dialogue going regarding areas
of drop-off. Support and re-structure can
be offered once those details are known.
3 – How will we get the knowledge about processes, systems,
compliance, etc. out of his/her head and into someone else’s in the
organization? – I often joke with a new employee when introducing him/her to a
seasoned veteran of the company that the veteran has probably forgotten more
than the new employee will ever know.
There is truth to this, though.
If someone has been with the organization for years and is truly a key
employee (not just dead weight that has been allowed to fester for decades
because no one is brave enough to do something about it…ouch!), then the
knowledge along with the nuances of history are hard to replace.
Effort needs to be put into mentoring and coaching
opportunities regularly. To try to get
all of the knowledge out of someone’s head who just gave his/her two weeks’
notice is silly. It won’t happen. By establishing it as a normal business practice
avoids panic and an unreasonable burden
of “data dump” between the leaving and the staying employees.
4 – Is the position needed? – Nothing says “Don’t let the
door hit you….” then when you realize you haven’t needed that role for some
time and have no intentions of filling that role. But it’s true! Out of our busyness or sheer laziness, we
haven’t looked at role effectiveness.
Perhaps a resignation is a gift (for a variety of reasons, I know) in
this vein because we can be forced to look at structure and process. Does this role push the mission for the
organization? Is there overkill in the
management level of the org chart?
Or, the real kicker, measure the results of that position. If it’s not acceptable, was that because of
the person in the role? Or because you don’t need the role?
5 – What will the ripple effect be, if any? – “Who’s with
me?” For those of you who’ve not seen the movie “Gung Ho,” watch it. Besides the datedness and the stereotypes, it
deals with productivity and cultural issues.
A rallying of the troops as a result of someone leaving can be crushing,
of course. Walk outs or just a couple
more resignations can affect morale deeply.
Repair won’t be overnight.
Proactively engaging a couple of layers of managers and
directors will thwart one person from having such power. Even if a key employee leaves, the communication
channels would have been open to more than merely that supervisor. If I can approach my manager, my director, my
CEO as well as my team, then the departure of that manager won’t seem as “end
of the world” as if he/she was the only superior who knew I existed. Be visible, be communicative, be real.
Overall, it’s wise to care for all employees. It’s very wise to care for those key
employees. Know what they need. Know why they need it. Know how support can be given. BUT, measure effectiveness, too. We’re not prisoners. We don’t have to be held hostage by a key
employee. Figure out why and how to get
the information out of his/her head and into others’ heads.
And to be truthful, a healthy resignation can do wonders for
a company, too. Jus’ sayin’.
Success. Love that
word. Fraught with meaning. Many a dream has been realized or demolished against
the measure of success. It’s what
everyone CEO wants to deliver to his/her board of directors. It’s what every publicly traded company wants
to deliver to its stockholders. Success.
We spend millions trying to find it or create it. We reinvent wheels. We look to find secrets that will help to shorten the time it takes to
achieve it. We look for quick results. We want to have an impact that will generate
revenue.
Having been able to sit with many CEO’s over my years, I have
heard variations on the pursuit of success, but all of it basically boiling
down to these points. And what I have
often considered is that success is like dieting or getting into shape.
We buy the latest series for weight loss. We join gyms.
We get up before the crack of dawn to do boot camp in the park. We bike, hike, take pills and drink shakes. We’ve worn leg warmers with Jane Fonda, sweat
to the oldies with Richard Simmons, Tae Bo’d with Billy Blanks, Pilate’d, P90X’d,
Insanity’d. We cleanse, eat organic, say
no to carbs, say no to fats, say no to dairy, say no to red meat. The exercise, fitness and diet industries are
multi-billion dollar industries.
And yet, in the US, we are the most obese population ever. Curious.
Success seems to be the same. We commit to so much to make our companies
excel. We hire consultants, fire
consultants, post new mission statements, develop incentive-based compensation
plans. I am not saying this is all for
naught. I will be the first one to tout
the values of knowing where you want to get to and leading that team with
conviction.
What we ought not to do is join the fitness program at Exhale Spa, buy a
new outfit from LuluLemon, workout for a week or two, get tired of it, make
excuses, grow fat, be disappointed in our efforts (or lack thereof) and then
look for the next quick fix. Success is
built on the pain of consistency and failure.
Our capabilities are real.
We should encourage the greatness that lies within each of us; the full
effect of that will be realized within an organization. These are not mere words, but rather a call
to action. As leaders we must engage a
concept of success that is realistic.
Set the foundation with mission and vision, lay framework with
expectations and accountability, add components of structure with trial,
collaboration, skills and communication.
These components are refined over time.
Success is rarely overnight.Success is not a destination but a journey.Once success is “achieved,” you have to start
at it again tomorrow.Every day, you
gotta be ready for what the call to success asks for – consistency, excellence, commitment
and sweat!
For a brief stint, I worked as a middle school teacher. Teaching is a wonderful gift and I was
delighted to do so. I found that the
most time spent, however, was directed towards items and issues that were not germane
to the work I was asked to do. Over and
over again, forms had to be completed, state requirements proven and validated,
interviewing with academia, etc. Please
understand that I believe in compliance and in accountability…definitely. What I struggled with was the amount of time
it took and how much time it took away from the students.
In human resources, I have experienced and witnessed a
similar phenomenon. While the distractions
may differ, the results are the same. For
example, think about how much time you spend at your desk. Can’t do it?
How about for the next 7 days, you keep a log (seriously!) as to how
much time you are sitting at your desk.
Now, while sitting at your desk is not the enemy, per se, it may show
you how much less you’re actually amongst the people you serve.
And it isn’t just about paperwork either. I bet it would be amazing for you to log how
long you actually spend with a particular person or two each week. Perhaps it’s all good stuff, but likely, you
may have your time taxed by someone that should not have as much time as he/she
has been allowed to have. Think about
that employee who “just needs 5 minutes” each day. We know that 5 becomes 20 in seconds. If it’s every day, what could you do with an
extra hour and 40 minutes each week?
There are still those time-suckers who want to review
something again, complain about something again, have software explained to
them again…it’s the same stuff time after time.
Am I insane? Do I expect a
different outcome? Why do I allow this
distraction to take me away from serving the larger population? Stop the madness…you cannot get that time
back. Make decisions about the wasting
of time. If someone cannot handle the
work they’ve been given, then get them out of that role. If the same process isn’t getting the results
needed, then put the effort in to change the process so you can be free from the
hamster wheel. Make the change.
I am not making light of responsibilities. I know that form completion matters. I know that one-on-one chats have to
happen. I know that your CEO will walk
into your office and eat an hour of time.
I know. Is that every day? Is it keeping you from the objectives you’ve
set?
Time will keep moving on.
Those goals you have for 2014 have a smaller window for completion. We’re about 9.5 months into the year. Can you accomplish those goals you set for
the people of your organization in these last couple of months? If so, maybe those goals weren’t so
stretching after all?
Are you allowing busyness and distraction to keep you from
what you’re to do? My words are easy to
type. The action of leaving your office
for a time and closing the door behind you might be a discipline that you have
to employ. Be with the people. Learn processes. Watch cultural interaction. Those components will make you a better HR
person, a better business partner, a better worker. You will be energized, enlightened…more
alive! Take back your time.
(by +Victorio Milian) I've worked many jobs in my career. Some I've enjoyed, others I've hated. I'm fortunate at this stage of my life to be involved in a few professional ventures that I really enjoy.
Part of why I'm in a good place these days is that I've found a way to incorporate my creative talents into my work. For example, I've been writing for over five years for various blogs and other outlets. This has provided me with opportunities for my work to appear in magazines, to travel, as well as connect with other great professionals. My emerging interest in photography and graphic design is helping me with my clients and their respective needs. My hobbies and interests have a home in my places of work.
My creative activities also serve as a diary of sorts. It gives me an opportunity to reflect on my growth and development, both as a HR practitioner as well as a person.
I say all this because I recently read a NPR article entitled, 'Got A Hobby? Might Be A Smart Professional Move.' In it, the author, Maanvi Singh, discusses research which reveals that employees who have creative endeavors outside of work tend to perform better at work.
According to the researchers abstract:
We conducted two studies that examined the relationships between non-work creative activity, recovery experiences, and performance-related behaviours at work. Creative activity was positively associated with recovery experiences (i.e., mastery, control, and relaxation) and performance-related outcomes (i.e., job creativity and extra-role behaviours).
A word of caution--it was a study done on a small group of professionals. Also, more research needs to be done on the connection between a person's creative outlet and work performance. Therefore, I wouldn't point to it as definitive proof of a relationship.
For me, however, it does make sense. Particularly as a consultant, I'm more engaged with clients when I can bring my full array of talents to work, even if they're not needed or utilized. And I've learned plenty of things at work that I've applied at home. Also, having a creative outlet helps me to relieve stress and to regain balance.
How can employees figure out how to be more creative at work, so that they can be more satisfied? Here are a few suggestions:
Look at yourself. Take stock of the things you like to do, particularly those activities that you may not be able to engage in during work hours. Perhaps you like art, or exercising. Whatever it is, take stock of those things.
Look at your job. What type of organization do you work for? Specifically, what are the values and expectations within it? Understanding the type of environment you work within can help you identify whether or not there's an opportunity to explore incorporating creative activities at work. For example, I've worked in environments where my social media activities were encouraged. In others, it was a big no-no.
Look at your supervisor. You will have no bigger advocate or obstacle than your immediate supervisor. And that goes for any organizational initiative you may want to implement or adjust.
Finding that professional/personal sweet spot is tough, whether you're a CEO or the janitor. When people are able to clearly articulate and exist within that sweet spot between the two, they (in my opinion) tend to do better at work.
