It's Time To Step Up

For way too long, Human Resources (which, by the way, has to be the worst name for any corporate function, no?) has been struggling to find a valued, respected role. And for good reason, since most of what the typical HR function delivers is a warmed-over version of what they did before they made the seemingly radical and supposedly life-affirming decision to change their name from Personnel to HR.

The problem, of course, is that despite the dire need for some function within every organization to help improve performance through its people, HR has been largely unable to step up to this important challenge. Oh, they can keep records with the best of them, hire people (though often in a painfully slow, cumbersome way), and report what percentage of the population received performance ratings of 'I Said You Did Fine But Should Have Told You The Truth'. Yet when was the last time anyone in leadership anywhere told the Board or shareholders that performance/profitability was a result of our amazing HR team?

Still thinking? I wish I could cite just one example, but I can't.

There's a reason for this. HR doesn't really appear to be in the business of improving performance through people. Instead, according to many line leaders, it seems as if their raison d'etre is to build processes that few embrace (read: performance management, succession planning, and just about anything else they produce) and introduce them at exactly the wrong time. This disconnect from the business is, unfortunately, widespread and validates leadership's belief that HR is in a world of its own, doing things to us rather than for us. Is it any wonder, then, that HR has to force its way into the business's core strategy discussions?

It's sad, because the people of HR are talented, dedicated and eager to help their organizations thrive. But all their talent, dedication and eagerness are no match for the history of largely burdensome administrivia they and their predecessors have foisted on their organizations. It's also sad because there's never been a time when the true possibilities HR offers are more desperately needed.

Without doubt, it's time for HR to kick it up a notch. And here's what's needed:

1. A new name. Just about anything is better than Human Resources (though 'Human Capital', like many HR consultancies are using is, indeed, worse). Why not something that's descriptive of the function and a tad more modern? Like, perhaps, 'People & Performance'.

2. A new mission. Enough with enhancing commitment, engagement and/or morale. And, please, enough of trying to be the employer of choice. Instead, how about something tangible, elegant and bold:

• We will help improve the overall performance of our organization by:

-- Hiring people who will become top performers quickly

-- Developing ways to enlarge our pool of top performers

-- Building leaders who produce outstanding results

-- Optimizing the performance of every one of our functions

3. A new delivery system. Want to connect with the business? Be part of the business. Move quickly to a 'Business Partner' model, where each Business Partner reports, at least on a dotted-line basis, to a line leader. And be sure that each Business Partner actually knows the business they are trying to help.

4. New skills. Don't make the same mistakes again. New names, new missions, new organizations mean nothing without producing results. Make sure you have people who can deliver the mission. You're at the table. Have something to say, something that helps your leadership win in the marketplace.

Sound reasonable (if a bit scary)? Cool. Get started.

And That's The Way It Was

Forty years ago today, in what hopefully will never be a footnote in a history book, two men landed a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. While Michael Collins circled above, Buzz Aldrin (shown here) and Neil Armstrong (reflected in Buzz's visor) were the first from Earth to walk on a truly alien surface. Supported by a nameless and faceless cast of tens of thousands, these men had accomplished something previously thought to be beyond rationality.

To land on the Moon, explore its dusty, desolate surface, and to come home alive was something at the time we could only dream about, read of in the stories of Robert Heinlein, or fantasize about while watching Star Trek. Indeed, for those old enough to remember, the Space Age on Earth began in the 1960s, well before microwave ovens (thank you, NASA), velcro (again, thank you, NASA), PCs, Macs, CDs, DVDs, DVRs, and warp drive (NASA, we're waiting).

While they were on the Moon we were, get this, rolling our car windows up and down by hand, getting up to change the channel on our black and white television set, and getting full meals with linen in Coach on flights from Cleveland to New York City. Not only were there no cell phones, we were actually dialing our phones. Speaking of phones, according to NASA the PDA you're carrying probably is more powerful than the computers on Apollo 11, the mission that took us to the moon.

But, despite the dearth of technology, they did it! And they did it with courage, a commitment that transcended conventional wisdom, and with a singular focus that enabled them to overcome the vast number of challenges standing between Earth and the Moon. Without doubt, an unparalleled accomplishment.

And to whom should we give credit for this explosion of creativity, productivity and, ultimately, a romantic stroll by two guys on the surface of the moon that would change us forever?

Thats' right. John Kennedy.

You know the story: On May 25, 1961 President Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the audacious -- some thought reckless -- goal of sending an American safely to and from the Moon before the end of the decade. He had his reasons -- national security, a 'space race' with the Soviet Union -- but he didn't have the first clue as to how to get it done. But there he was, in front of Congress, stating that we would go to the Moon in less than nine years. Truly a bold, inspirational goal. A grand vision for a country which, while in the midst of the Cold War, did not have its eyes turned to the stars. A high-risk challenge to an entire administration if not the entire country. Yet, less than nine years later, Neil is taking home movies of Buzz from 239,000 miles from home.

Now that's what I call leadership. Setting a bold goal. Inspiring others to act brilliantly, to accomplish something extraordinary. And, critically, achieving that goal. Alas, Kennedy did not live to see Buzz and Neil play on the Moon but that in no way diminishes his role in this fantastic achievement. (And who knows? Maybe had Kennedy lived we'd now be using warp drive.)

In the midst of recalling this example of great leadership and the accomplishments it inspired, let us also remember someone who played an important role in our quest for the Moon. Someone who was an outstanding leader in his own right. Someone we trusted. Someone who was honest with us even as he was the consummate professional. His sadness in reporting the death of John Kennedy. His bold statements about the stalemate of the Viet Nam war. His joy in watching Armstrong walk on the Moon. You taught us a ton, Walter, and we'll miss you.

One last thought: Who might you inspire this week to act brilliantly, to achieve something extraordinary? Don't be shy. This is a good week for inspiration.

In Awe

Welcome back to the Job of Work after what we hope was a wonderful weekend. In the States we celebrated the courage and audacity of a few to risk everything against the then mightiest country on Earth in the pursuit of freedom and, of all things, happiness. Talk about going for it! Not only did these men put it all on the line for what they believed in, they could write, too. Take a moment sometime to read the Declaration of Independence. Without doubt, it’s one of the most brilliant Dear John letters of all time, with an amazing first sentence:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Thomas Jefferson, its author, was just warming up. His second sentence outshines the first:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Great use of caps, no? Think Microsoft Word would let you keep those words capitalized without a fight? ‘Creator’ for sure, but what about ‘Rights’, ‘Life’, ‘Liberty’, and ‘Happiness’? Am I alone in this or do you find Word to be a bit fascist in its unwillingness to let us express ourselves our way? A topic for a later time.

Jefferson goes on to outline a series of transgressions perpetuated by the Kind of England to justify the break-up – ‘For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent’ and ‘He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people’ to name just two – and ends with a line designed to bond the hearts and minds of the 56 who would eventually sign the Declaration:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Way to bring it, Tom! Talk about drawing a line in the sand, setting a bold goal and galvanizing a group of individuals into a unified team to attempt to accomplish something seemingly impossible. Anyone taking notes?

And while we in this country are still struggling to find the true meaning of ‘all men are created equal’, it is a time to reflect on the courage of those who would stand up and declare to the world: We choose freedom! We choose to pursue our own life! We choose happiness!

What do you choose?

Happy Birthday, America. Let’s hope you – and we – continue to grow wiser with age.

Down To The Bone

Welcome to a second week’s collections of observations, insights and rants about the always curious, sometimes bizarre, often mind-numbing and, from time to time, fulfilling (admit it; you know it’s true) World of Work. Where, for most, creativity is squelched, independent thinking shunned, a real focus on the customer – so widely preached – rarely is more than talk and, sadly, where that thing some refer to as "upside potential" is unrealized. Sad, because we’ve never faced a time quite like this. A time where every company needs great ideas, needs every person to step up, needs real leadership, needs to blow the socks off of its dwindling pool of customers. To exceed expectations, to surprise and delight, to shine. Now’s the time to tap that upside potential and take it for a spin around the dance floor. See if there’s truth to the rumor that people, when jazzed about possibilities, mobilized to perform as a team and, critically, given the room to contribute can, indeed, accomplish amazing things. Hey, we’ve seen it happen with our own eyes and, let me tell you, it’s a beautiful thing.

• This thing called 'service'. Last week, to the delight of a very few, we wondered aloud about the dearth of warm, genuine and/or gracious customer service. Assuming that it ever existed in the first place, the question remains: Where has all the service gone? To this we humbly offer our Theory of Bad Service, which defines four core possibilities for the observable decline in customer service:

1. Like other expendable budgetary items, companies have downsized service. This is obvious to anyone who’s ever asked for a second bag of peanuts or another cup of water on that plane that’s over an hour late, waited at the cash register in a line that seems endless, had to stand up and drag a wait person to your restaurant table, or held a phone to your ear for forever while on hold hearing that infernal computer voice (who is she?) for the 100th time tell you that your business is important. Companies have been cutting to the bone and we, my fellow customers, are that bone.

2. As companies mess with their employees (read: layoffs, cuts in pay, reduction in benefits, etc.), employees are, in turn, doing the same with the companies’ customers. The anger and frustration many customer-facing employees have runs strong and deep. How best to get even? Yes! The customer! No matter that we’re paying their salaries. No matter that we’re all that’s between them and unemployment. ‘If we’re going down,’ I’ve been told, ‘I’m taking everyone at the top of this company with me.’ Lovely.

3. Although they’ll deny it into bankruptcy court, companies don’t really care about service. If they did, would the service typically delivered be mediocre at best? Of course there are exceptions – the service at Apple stores is always terrific – but it appears that most companies simply don’t care about making us feel that our money was well spent. Come to think of it, aside from Apple stores, I can’t think of another example of a large, for-profit company that provides consistently outstanding customer service. Can you? And while companies will deny their lack of interest in service long and loud, the answers to two questions will reveal the truth: What care is given to hiring and training those who will serve in customer-facing roles? What will these people be paid?

4. It’s hard to treat others well when you’re scared. And many of us are scared. Unemployment is as high as anyone can remember, state governments are teetering, U.S. automakers are dying before our eyes, and few companies are taking any real steps to assure their people that we, together, will get through this. But, here’s the skinny: We will get through this and those companies that take appropriate steps now will be positioned to thrive as we do so. And, hardly a shock, it will be companies that inspire their people, giving them the freedom to make a difference, making them feel important, allowing their people to provide outstanding service, and providing hope for the future – these will be the companies that will thrive and those where we’ll feel that our money was, indeed, well spent. More about that soon.
Our Theory of Bad Service, in four easy pieces.

• 'Dad, wanna have a catch?' Lastly, like It’s A Wonderful Life for Christmas and The Robe or The Ten Commandments for Easter, shouldn’t Field of Dreams be the official movie of Father’s Day? (If you don’t know to what I refer, watch it again.) Happy Father’s Day to all of you who mentor, coach, guide, support and/or have the backs of anyone, anyplace.

Have fun at work and see you next week.

So You Think You Can Dance

Welcome to a week’s collections of observations, questions and rumblings about the wild and often dangerous place we refer to as ‘work’: where axes fall, the other foot drops and heads are often kept low. Where we always see something astounding, something you simply couldn’t make up on your own. Where there’s often excessive analysis and way too little freedom to act. Where inspiring leadership is, especially now, in huge demand but is largely invisible. Where people want to make a real difference but are prevented from doing so. Where ‘valued customers’ are too infrequently treated with value and, surprisingly, rarely like customers. Where the vast majority of employees would never return if they could afford to and many know to the day how much time remains before retirement. Welcome to The World of Work, a place where many are forced to dance with unattractive partners (called ‘employers’).

• Generations only differ in age. Enough with the Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial differences already! This thing about generational differences in the workplace just doesn’t fly, no matter how hard the researchers work at it. The experiences of the different age groups varies – my grandparents, for example, would never have considered traveling by air, especially if snacks were an added cost – but our basic desires about work are largely the same. Who among us, regardless of age, doesn’t want meaningful work, a chance to do our job in our own style, have opportunities to grow, receive recognition for performance, get paid commensurate with our contributions, have the ability to help our company win, and, critically, to be treated with dignity and respect? Maybe we should focus on creating workplaces where our basic needs can be met, rather than debating the differences between the age groups. Maybe then more people would stop counting the days to retirement and companies could flourish.

• Can ‘strategy’ and ‘HR’ be used correctly in the same sentence? If there is any function in the workplace looking for credibility, it’s Human Resources. Long relegated to the dark and dank ‘back room’ of organizations, HR of late has been asked to shed its Personnel shackles, invited to sit with the adults at The Table and, at very long last, has been asked to join the conversation about how to grow the business. Sadly, far too many HR departments have yet to contribute to this conversation in any real and meaningful way. Sad, because a strong case can be made that only HR – given the talent and expertise that resides there – is capable of creating a work place that can sustain long-term profitable growth. And, hardly a shock, they can do so by creating a work environment where people have meaningful work, a chance to do the job in one’s own style, and the other critical elements of work mentioned above. But, are they doing this? Not nearly enough. Instead, many HR functions debate, among other things, about whether they represent management or non-management (the wrong question, to be sure), whether Payroll should be part of their function (no offense, Payroll; we love and need you), and whether performance reviews should be done on the employee’s anniversary date or conducted all at the same time (like it really matters). Now is the time for HR functions across the land to step up, develop an effective strategy for growing the business and executing that strategy brilliantly. You’re at The Table. Don’t let us down, HR. We need you.

• “We know you have a choice of airlines.” For those among us who fly, you’re familiar with this phrase, repeated after every landing, thanking those on the plane for paying real cash money for almost no service. And while we should never overlook the fact that the plane landed safely, the question remains: Where has all the service gone? What does a smile cost? A warm welcome? A heartfelt good-bye? A second cup of water? And it’s not just airlines that seemed to have forgotten who pays the bills. Service just about everywhere seems to have taken a noticeable hit. Surprising, too, given that as spending declines and the competition for business increases, one would think that service would truly become a competitive advantage. If that were indeed true, we should all be experiencing amazing service, no? So, why is this not the case? Why is service declining? Could it be that United and the others don’t think we really have a choice of airlines? That stores don’t believe we can shop elsewhere? That banks and insurance companies don’t need to provide good service? That service doesn’t matter? That we won’t remember? We’ll share our Theory of Bad Service and what to do about it with you next week.

Enough ranting. It’s your turn. Use the comments to leave us your thoughts, examples and especially your ‘dance steps’ – your way of handling what’s dealt to you at work. See you next week.