Welcome to the premier edition of the HR Enthusiast! I have been researching blogs for a while now, and believe me, there are lots of HR blogs out there. One of my favorites is is HR Bartender (www.hrbartender.com). Before I ever ventured into this “odyssey” I checked with the Bartender about how to get started. She advised me, before anything, that I should find my voice. My voice? … more research….but what I found was pretty amazing.
What is my voice … well, first off, I have to admit I am a professional student. Up until now, my “voice” has been academic. That can be downright boring! So, in this blog, you’re going to get the real deal, the real me, my real voice. You might agree with me; you might think I’ve gone bonkers. Either way, we’ll get some good conversation going.
Why the “HR Enthusiast?” I’ve been in HR a looooong time, way before PCs and other geekly stuff that would have made my life so much easier. Ever worked on a mainframe the size of Manhattan? With punched cards no less? Make one simple mistake, and the whole thing starts smoking …. But, here I am, it’s almost a decade into the 21st century, and I still love HR. In fact, I’m more excited about my profession than I was when I started.
Why an “odyssey?” Truth is, I wanted to call it an adventure, but that term is so last century. Odyssey is much more descriptive. Check out Miriam’s online and you’ll find that it means 1 : a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune and 2 : an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest. Feels a lot like that, right? Look at the changes in the last year alone. Sometimes I feel like I’m fielding fly balls, and I’m the only outfielder. But, my enthusiam remains intact.
How about you? What do you think about where HR is headed? Are you as enthusiastic as when you first started? Need to recycle your enthusiam? Want to join the voyage? Fast Company told us why they hate HR, but let me know what you love about HR. I think there’s more to love than ever. Got any HR heroes? Share them here.
You can reach me at enthoosed@hrenthusiast.com
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I also share a passion for HR and have devoted my entire career to the field. That being said, it can also be a very frustrating career where management frequently does not recognize or embrace HR’s contribution.
I can certainly appreciate your frustration. HR gets a bad rap so often. We’re seen as the office of “NO.” Or, we are perceived as a cost center. Especially now, with the economy as it is, we are having to make or carry out some very tough decisions.
Sometimes, however, I think we in HR are our own worst enemies. We say we want to be strategic partners, but we don’t know how to speak the language of business. If we get a seat, do we know how to speak so that the C-Suite gets it? Do we study our execs to know what works with them and what doesn’t? So much of the “art” of HR and of management in general is being able to read people. Some of us are better at that than others. I have to admit, that I am not as quick at that as others, but I’m learning — taken me a few years!
With respect to the C-Suite, perceptions are hard to break, and values are even harder. Unfortunately, often times I find that we’re not appreciated until we’re gone. I need some feedback from those of you who have been successful in gaining and keeping the C-suite’s ear. What are some of your secrets? What can we do to help reorient the perception of HR so that we are viewed as a vital partner in the success of our businesses?