| | MARCH - 2023MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionBy Sharon Giraudel, Director, Human Resources, New Gold Inc.Early in my career, I came across an article that spoke to "the artist within us" and how each of us has the potential to become an artist. After reading the article, I recalled that during high school, I had taken art courses which inspired me to sign up for a class. I remember walking into the art class and seeing so much talent and feeling really intimidated. In that first class, the instructor gave us brief instructions and asked us not to "over think things" and just to paint. I panicked ­ everyone started painting without reservation, and their canvasses were coming to life, but I could not muster up enough confidence to do anything other than mix colors.The second week, I continued to feel intimidated, and I froze. The instructor, Caroline, walked around the class giving subtle suggestions to each student. I nervously awaited her approach. She came over to me and said- "you know Sharon ­ you should actually start to paint." I explained that I was so intimidated by how far ahead everyone else was in the class and that I felt that I had overestimated my abilities in signing up for the course. I did not think I was good enough. A gentleman overheard our conversation, and he leaned over to me and said, "last year, I could only draw stick figures, LEARNING TO SEEbut then I learned to see. Trust me ­ what you are seeing today didn't happen overnight." The "learn to see" comment really resonated with me because I realized that I had somehow been stuck behind my own blinders. Almost immediately, I felt more comfortable, my reservations started to dissipate, and with that, my brush hit the canvas, and I started to paint. Although this lesson was in an art class, I applied the "learn to see" concept to how I have viewed my role in Human Resources over the years. I see Human Resources as helping organizations to "learn to see," and after working for over 25 years in various industries with global operations, here are the Top 10 lessons I have "learned" and how I leverage them to help organizations "see," based on my research, mentorship, and career experiences:Never compromise your valuesHuman Resources are the guardians of an organization's values. If employees feel that HR is not addressing issues that do not align with their values, this will completely undermine the organization's credibility. If you are finding that you are advocating for values-led leadership and the behaviors are not being role-modeled from the top ­ then you should ask yourself if this is the right organization for you.Think like a CEOOne of the greatest gifts that I have realized as I started to work directly with executives is the importance of understanding how a CEO thinks. What is important to them? What is important to their boss ­ is the Board of Directors. Delivering against day-to-day activities is important, but equally important is understanding how everything links to the big picture.Understand your customerOne of the biggest gaps I have experienced working in Human resources is the lack of focus on Sharon Giraudel
< Page 7 | Page 9 >