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HR Matrix: I’m plugged in!

April 30, 2012 in Business, HR Advice, hr fundamentals, HR principles by newresource | No comments

I read an interesting article about there being more African American bloggers than Caucasians bloggers. Well, I have only found a couple of African Americans in the HR blogosphere. But this article got me to thinking about why I like to blog and why many others may gravitate toward it too. I think it’s because blogging allows us to do things that the corporate world sometimes does not allow us to do.  Many of you know I started blogging out of necessity.

I use my blog to showcase my skills and expertise of HR and to be helpful to practitioners and employees alike. I love blogging because I can be whatever I want.

Remember the ground breaking “Matrix Trilogy” movies? I hope so; it’s the movies that compare us all to being computer programs living in an unreal world that is controlled by the limitations of the mind. Once you accept this reality you are given the chance to unplug from the digital world and live in the real world known as Zion. Here’s the cool part for me. If you can handle the reality that your world is a computer program and you are digital projection of your mental image then you can plug into and out of it, “the Matrix”.

Once you’re plugged in you can do amazing things, like fly, jump hundreds of feet, dodge bullets, or kick the snot out of 200 agents. (Watch the movies)

Blogging for me is like being in the Matrix. When I am blogging, I am not Chris Fields, a black man from Memphis, without a ton of corporate experience. I am not a Generalist. I am not a marginalized HR employee. I can defy the basic human need to define, categorize and contain.

I can fly all over the HR world using my skills and knowledge to speak intelligently and practically about Diversity, Employee Relations, Engagement, Recruitment, Leadership, Benefits, Training and Social Media. I’m not limited by YOUR imagination and YOUR idea of what I can do or be. On this blog, I am a CEO. I am a CHRO, I am NEO. I’m free.

Don’t let anyone or any organization define you. We should all be free in our careers, we should not feel as if we are not being challenged, effective or utilized properly. Find your freedom.

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Promotion Time, Pick Me!

November 14, 2011 in Business, HR Advice, hr fundamentals, HR principles, Leadership, SHRM, TNSHRM by newresource | 1 comment

What if I told you that I had recipe that will help you get that promotion that you’ve been wanting your entire career? Would you pay me a huge percentage of your salary increase? Hmpf. Although you probably won’t send me a check, I’ll share with you anyway.

I get this all the time; how can I get a promotion? If you ask the average employee they’d probably tell you that if you work hard and keep your nose clean, you’ll climb that corporate ladder. Some will say you have to kiss the boss’ butt, compromise yourself in some way or if you can get your hands on some photos of the boss in intimate relations with someone other than their spouse, you are good.

Well folks, I’m here to tell you that none of that will do it, not even the photos. It’s not easy but nothing ever is. It requires a little extra effort, you have to be sort of transparent and you have to be cool. One part of the equation is a good work ethic. You have to be doing your job at a pretty good level, you don’t have to be perfect but you can’t be a slacker. Next, you have to have a good personality, remember my article “The Burning Question: Are You An A**hole?” read that. So if you meet those standards than all you have to do is follow this next step and you will be moving on up like George and Weezy.

To get the promotion, you must put yourself in a position to make a positive impact on the decision makers. In order to do that you’ve got to step out of the shadows and into the spot light. Lot of people aren’t really ready for the limelight but if you are then you’ve got to use the informal setting as your way to make a lasting impression. What’s the informal setting?

Have you ever noticed in those powerful Hollywood movies about money, success and wealth there’s always a golf course scene? That’s because power moves are usually made outside the office.  Places like the golf course, or the dinner table or the ballet etc. Hence the old term “The deal was made on the golf course.”

“But Mr. HR, I don’t play golf.” Look, I know, it’s an analogy. Does your company have community events e.g. cook outs, charity events, volunteer efforts or company outings? These are great ways to make an impact. Go to your break room, look at the events calendar, check the emails, there is something going on and you need to get involved.

Now for those of you, who may be a little more advanced in your career and trying to move up further, try this; in addition to making an impact as described above, ask your superior for more duties.  Let them know you want more responsibilities or you want new projects which will allow you expand your expertise. If they say no, then you need to duck because you’re about to hit the glass ceiling.

Here’s my disclaimer, you have to commit to making a positive impact. You can’t half ass it. You got to show up (to the informal event) engaged, excited, happy and helpful. You got to mingle and you could schmooze your way right into a promotion.

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HR Rap Session: Future Trends (2/3)

November 1, 2011 in Business, HR principles, Uncategorized by newresource | No comments

Next Is Jay Kuhns HR VP

Notstradamus Had an iPhone

Barring an unexpected lotto win I’m planning on working another couple of decades. So considering the amount of change that has occurred in the workplace over the last few years (smart phones, social media, and something called the cloud), how should we prepare for the future of work?  I mean seriously, did you predict how big facebook would become?  Me neither.

Two Steps To Guarantee Future Success

Step one is probably obvious, but for the millions of workers that will be entering the workforce during my next twenty years at the helm, as well as the millions more that are working now it’s worth saying => Keep an open mind!  Regardless of the setting I’m in, speaking, networking, meetings, etc.. I continue to run into people who are so resistant to change that I’m simply dumbstruck.  How is it possible that anyone in the workforce today could cling to “the good old days?”  The good old days were last week! Get with the program people, the rate of change is so dramatic that if you aren’t paying attention you soon won’t be getting paid.  Are you with me?

 

Step Two builds on the foundation of keeping an open mind => continue to push yourself, even when it’s uncomfortable.  It’s okay to try new things and fail.  It’s expected of effective leaders to stumble, and try again, and stumble some more.  Do you think NASA put a rocket together on the first try and everything worked perfectly? Of course not.  Try new approaches, test your ideas, and keep pushing yourself.  Imagine how inspiring you’ll be if your team sees you leading in this way?  That’s who I would want to work for, wouldn’t you?

How About You

Are you ready for the years ahead?  Sure, clinging to past glories and comfortable places is very tempting.  But look at it this way, if you feel your best days are behind you guess what?  You’re right! So how about you decide today that the best days are ahead…because you’ll be right again if you do.

 

I’d love to hear from you.

 

No Excuses.

 

Jay Kuhns, SPHR (@jrkuhns on Twitter) – Jay is a VP of HR at a children’s hospital in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.  He’s a prolific HR & inspirational blogger at No Excuses HR

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An “Effing” Chance

October 26, 2011 in Business, HR Advice, hr fundamentals, HR principles, Leadership, randomness by newresource | 2 comments

Over the last 30 days I’ve manage to help a few people get back to work or find better work. I’m proud of that. They were having a tough go of it, and really wanted to find something, anything. The processes took a long time in each case. They’d get no calls, then a call here or there, a phone interview, a second interview then nothing. One case was really weird to me; they got a phone screening, an aptitude test, and second interview and even a drug test and then no return call. Maybe there was some internal stuff there, odd.

Newsflash we’re in a recession, 14 million job seekers (over 9% of the workforce), so getting a job now means quite a bit more than it did during the late 90’s. HR folks in the trenches, this includes recruiters, understand that there are some challenges with available talent. There are good people are out there but there are a lot of difficulties in getting them employed. Each person had different things they needed help with but one thing was common; they were desperate for a chance, just an “effing” chance! If you could only hear the range of emotions in their voices over the course of the process from despair to sadness, disappointment to exhilaration.

You know some HR executives think that’s low level stuff, they have people for that. They’re removed from the frontline they’re out of trenches as they say. It’s been said that your story is a testimony, and transparency heals so that being said; I’m “in-transition” (unemployed) but I’m not the only one. Working with these folks and talking with them during the entire process from job seeking to final offer is amazingly therapeutic for me. Just getting the call to say “Hey you’re hired” and for me to get the email or the phone call “I got the job”, was just as amazing. I feel like I got the job.

But that’s the thing isn’t, a job gives you hope. It inspires, motivates, validates, give you pride, dignity and purpose.  Ray Lewis, the future Hall of Fame NFL Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens was asked, “What makes you a good leader?” he said “I’m not afraid to serve.”

That hit me hard as the thousands of tackles he has made over his career. Serving others can reap you huge benefits, personally and professionally.

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Blogging Ain’t For Wussies!

September 28, 2011 in HR Advice, HR principles, Leadership by newresource | No comments

So let’s get down to it. I blog and I love it. I read something this week that I had to digest and accept on the Cynical Girl blog, you can read the post here, she points out that bloggers blog because they “wish that Corporate American would find time to hire them…” and we are all “hustling”. Like it or not it’s true. The majority of us do this because it allows us a voice that has been stifle or scuffed out in the corporate world. But no matter the reason that brought us here, we are here, and I am glad. With the help of some really good people, I’m becoming a Social Media Guru of sorts.  I’m no cutting edge techy guy, but I know how to network, promote, advertise and market a social media campaign.

Lots of folks don’t find the value and importance of blogging or social media. It’s kind of like rappers and pastors, people don’t really respect them unless they see the materialistic items that come with success. Rappers don’t wear chains and drive fancy cars only because they want to. Pastors don’t wear nice suits and drive fancy cars only because they want to. I’ve noticed the samething now that I’ve created more opportunities for myself, people that didn’t pay attention are. And they are more interested in what I do. Cool with me, jump aboard the bandwagon there’s plenty of room.

Blogging has saved my career. It’s given me a new network of friends. It’s put a world of subject matter experts at my fingers tips. This broadens my expertise and knowledge on a wide variety of HR competencies.  And it’s not just a take-take relationship; I lay out my thoughts based upon my experience, education and intellect.

Oh and by the way, there are some bloggers that are happy in their corporate careers and don’t seem to be hustling a thing. Jay Kuhns blogs at No Excuses, Steve “HR Rocks” Browne blogs at Everyday People and Dave Ryan blogs at HR Official, all great bloggers.

Point is, don’t discount the power of bloggers and don’t assume their reason for blogging. Denial is the most basic human reaction to something new. I know a few people that tried blogging and couldn’t manage the fire, so it blew up in their faces. It’s harder and more rewarding than you think.

Now let me get back to my hustle!

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