| | MARCH - 2023MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM9Dedicate time to helping your HR Teams understand the importance of ongoing learning, particularly in understanding and staying on top of business results. Also, ensure that the knowledge you gain is applicable and shared with your team in real-timeunderstanding the customer. I started my career in financial services, and this really set the stage for me to understand the importance of understanding my customers. Take the time to visit your operations or sites to really understand and appreciate the "unspoken word" and dynamics, routines, and norms. When customers feel that you have invested in getting to know them as individuals and respect their time and perspectives, they are more likely to be supportive of a new program and will support the change.Meet organizations and people where they areEvery organization is at various stages of the organizational maturity model. Even within the organization, there may be divisions that are operating in "reactive mode" versus "optimal mode," where there are established routines and processes in place. Although leaders may be excited about a new HR initiative, if they do not understand where their organizations are on the maturity curve ­the initiative will fail fast. Unless your customer can see a return on investment for efforts such as improving areas such as safety, production, engagement, retention, or reducing costs - you should question whether the initiative should be launched or explore its timing. Without completing a proper assessment, the chances are your customers will feel that Human Resources are disconnected from reality and resist the change.Make your work visibleEngage actively with communications departments. Leverage communications and branding to help employees understand how the key activities and initiatives are linked to the organization's strategy and driving organizational performance. Year over year, the question HR departments should ask "what did we do differently to evolve our workplace culture? For example, are our programs and processes making our company stand-out versus our competitors for talent?"Find a mentorEarly on in my career I actively sought out mid-career mentors to ask for coaching and feedback. I often reflect and use their advice. Learning from others' experiences and "life lessons" helped me avoid some of the same challenges or helped me recover from challenges more quickly.Stay committed to ongoing learningI have worked in organizations where there was a discomfort with going outside of one's organizations or industries to learn. The best HR professionals I have worked with have invested in their development on an ongoing basis. Investment in development does not have to cost a lot of money. I regularly subscribe to free blogs, podcasts, and articles and listen to books via the Audible App. Dedicate time to helping your HR Teams understand the importance of ongoing learning, particularly in understanding and staying on top of business results. Also, ensure that the knowledge you gain is applicable and shared with your team in real-time.Help leaders make the connection between their actions and mental healthThis is the biggest gap I have found in attending any leadership training that I have attended. Leaders need support in understanding the power they have in enabling positive mental health through the work environments they create. Help them understand the role their interactions can have with their teams and the impact this can have on one's self-esteem. Many of us have experienced challenging work environments and are aware of how this has impacted our own mental health and translated to home life. Stress the importance that leadership and culture can play beyond "hitting the numbers." Creating a strong workplace culture where people feel heard, valued, and respected can increase engagement, inclusiveness, safety, and performance.Celebrate successesAs HR, we often only hear feedback when things are not going well. The last couple of years has been extremely difficult for HR professionals to navigate organizations through COVID-19 while delivering results. Take the time to celebrate successes with your teams. Help your teams "learn to see."Help them see the value of HR reinforcing these lessons and others you have experienced along your own journey. Help them feel pride in understanding the significance of their contributions beyond the day-to-day and how instrumental HR is in driving a culture where people feel respected and valued for their contributions equally regardless of background and level/job title.
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