Congratulations – you’re about to ruin someone’s life:

1. Rainbows And Unicorns – Competition for truly talented individuals can still be quite fierce, so maybe you painted just a smidge of an aspirational picture of the company. The backstabbing, self-promoting, fiercely protectionist, meat grinder of an organization you call home might have been presented as a collaborative, high energy, entrepreneurial, work/life balanced utopia. Hey, you just needed to get her in the door, right?
2. Welcome Aboard! – Because you have a busy schedule you neglected to tell your promising upstart about the back-asswards way she’ll be spending her first week on the job. Onboarding is a real pain and you neglected to order her computer, aren’t quite sure where she is going to sit, don’t know when she’ll get badged and are completely unprepared for her arrival. You’re largely indifferent toward her plight since “it’s just the way things are around here“.

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As you float above the fray and attempt to make sense of it all, a distant object approaches at high speed. Suddenly buzzing past you are the 2011 wing-walking fools who squint their eyes into the blinding sun and pretend to see what’s ahead, often misinterpreting the smallest of clues as a means of preparing a seemingly interested world for what is most assuredly an uncertain future.

I am one of those fools.

But before I crash into the future, let’s take a quick journey back to December of 2009, a time when I predicted that 2010 would be the “Year of the HR Truism“:

2010 Scorecard

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This was the twenty-year reunion of the founding of the best company I’ve ever worked for.

As I sipped on an icy cold beer and recanted tales of old, I began to reflect on what made this firm so special. We were far from perfect by any external measure (who builds a software product on OS/2?), yet we managed to win more than our fair share of the market, took the company through a highly successful IPO and eventually sold portions of the firm to leaders in each of the markets we served. Nearly everyone who worked at the company admits that their experience there was unparalleled and they have yet to find that kind of happiness again in their career. Several have tried to “get the band back together” by launching their own firms or working together in other areas, yet it hasn’t really panned out in the same way.

But why?

What was it about this time and place that made it so special? As I reflect back, there are three things that stand out. They may seem cliché and perhaps even obvious, yet these characteristics seem to be so elusive in today’s workforce:

1) Leadership

Our CEO was the most charismatic, highly personable and infinitely approachable leader I’ve worked for. He did not sequester himself in a corner office or lord above his flock (despite the photo) but instead infused himself into every aspect of the business. He trusted his lieutenants and let them lead in their respective areas (hell, that’s why you hire good people, right?). When he spoke with you he was engaged, making eye contact, asking questions and truly trying to understand how he could best apply your existing or emerging talents to the business. And he had fun, subscribing to the edict that business does not need to be stuffy or boring. Everyone I know would work for this man again in a heartbeat.

2) Opportunity

I held six different roles in five years. That wouldn’t have been possible without recognizing each individual’s contribution and a belief in one’s ability to learn and grow. Several of those roles I created myself by identifying an underserved need and preparing a case for their value. And I wasn’t unique, as those around me were allowed to bring every ounce of their experience and perspective to the table, something I have never seen repeated at another firm. Despite serving the HR market, we didn’t do skills assessments, inventories or even complex performance reviews. Every day arrived with the collective knowledge of where we stood and where we needed to be. It was fascinating.

3) Victory

We won because we decided winning was more fun than losing. We didn’t always have the best product, the newest features or the easiest service delivery model, but we did have a celebratory style and this became a contagion among employees and clients alike. When a new client was signed, our CEO would bring the entire company together, we would ring a bell outside the main conference room and he would thank every single person who had been involved. This also happened when we brought a new product to market, met demanding end-of-quarter shipping deadlines, executed a new partnership agreement, fixed some tough bugs, and so on. No department was immune from celebration, no victory was too small, and we loved seeing one another win.

A closing thought

I spend an inordinate amount of time chatting with businesses about the hard decisions they need to make and the effect those decisions may have on their employees. And perhaps it won’t surprise you to learn that one phrase that comes up time and time again is…

“It’s not personal, it’s business.”

We need to change this mentality because it could not be further from the truth. Business is highly personal and is entirely dependent on relationships, so if you walk around with an attitude that your employees are just numbers on a spreadsheet or interchangeable cogs in the wheel of commerce, don’t be surprised when mediocrity or disengagement rear their ugly heads.

I want more of you to make business personal again because I’ve seen the magic that comes from people feeling connected to something greater than themselves. And to do this well, you need to actually engage. I’m not talking about another eye-stabbing engagement survey; I’m talking about human contact on a human level.

It’s quite likely that this was the last time I’ll ever see some of my former colleagues. And that’s okay, because I like remembering them at the top of their game, when we came together for a common purpose and when we didn’t dread getting up in the morning, going to work and slogging through another day. I wish them well and hope they find that sort of happiness again in their career. They deserve it.

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As you’ll see, my concerns was completely unfounded.

When I entered the conference room I was met by a disheveled middle-aged man who was bowled over in laughter. I smiled (to fit in) and he just kept waving me away as he stomped the ground repeatedly, wracked by the pleasure of (I found out later) his own joke. His team smirked apologetically and we eventually got him settled down, although the occasional burst of popcorn laughter would slip out unexpectedly.

Yes, this was their glorious leader.

He didn’t really listen to anything we said. Once he picked up the phone in the conference room and couldn’t remember how to dial out, punching numbers whac-a-mole style with a furrowed brow, spitting, “Why – can’t – I – get – this – damn – thing – to – work!“. When it came to the pricing, I accidentally presented the wrong numbers and he didn’t even notice. “Fine, fine…whatever“, was his somewhat annoyed response as he rolled his chair around the room like a two-year-old. And he was a one man band – belching, clearing his throat, clicking his pen, tapping on the table. It was painful. So yes, we secured the deal, but this was the moment I realized that smart people don’t always win.

A Systemic Problem

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A few weeks ago Bill Kutik and several other industry representatives (including yours truly) were invited out to Philadelphia to attend a fairly standard analyst briefing with Kenexa’s leadership team. My expectations for these events are fairly straight forward – you meet with the executive staff, hear their predictions for the coming year and gather information on product releases, feature specifications, client successes, revenues, etc. It’s a fairly prescribed event and some leave more cynical, others more enlightened, and yet others indifferent to what they saw or heard.

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I’ve come to realize that due to this phrenetic activity, workers are becoming increasingly frenzied and highly inefficient. And while we stay in constant motion for different reasons, most suffer from what I call  ”the shiny object problem”.

Are we becoming raccoons…

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The easiest way to explain what’s different is that every session is intended to be a facilitated conversation. But what if you’re not comfortable or proficient in engaging an audience that is largely used to a traditional conference setting? Here are five tips that should help both facilitators and attendees get the most out of their sessions:

Tip #1 – Silence is Golden

I will tell you that I still struggle with this one (since I’m a big talker) but a key to good facilitation is developing a healthy respect for silence. The silence can feel unbearably long and your mind starts racing with doubt – “Did they understand my question? Is anyone interested in this topic?” To cover, we often try rephrasing the question or asking a different (hopefully, more interesting!) question altogether. Meanwhile, the audience was still thinking about your first question… now they’re totally confused. Which question do you want them to answer?

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This is the best analogy I can attribute to this week’s annual HR West conference in South San Francisco. We are experiencing a very interesting time in our profession and unfortunately for you, all the HR alters show up at different times. Join me on a quick review and let me know which sounds most like you or your HR team. (Given HR’s current state, it may be all of them.)

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And although LRP is sun-setting New York HR Week, they themselves embody the spirit and theme of this year’s event. Despite my inability to attend all sessions, one resounding theme dominated the halls of the exposition, the clink of the evening receptions, the hushed whispers of session chatter and the demonstrative voices of the panelists and moderators – it’s a new world order so focus on what matters.

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Yes, I said people are dying, and I’m not saying it to be dramatic. It’s happening about once every fifteen seconds every single day in every way imaginable. (Yep, someone just died as you read that stat.)

Is this my employer’s fault? Is it even their responsibility to be in the middle of this mess in the first place? I say it is not. But of course I’ve already completed my homework assignments.

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You have all the answers.

I told you this was simple.

The premise is that any issue human resources faces has been thoughtfully considered and solved by someone in our peer group. This is the foundation of what research organizations like the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) have been studying for years. In their model, CEB assembles hundreds of C-level executives in their member-based forums and surveys the population to prioritize topics of interest. They then interview select members to identify success stories than can be deconstructed and root-caused into teachable moments for all. It’s a brilliant business model that I would like to see us apply to our professional lives. And guess what? It’s already happening, albeit on a very small scale.

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My friend and fellow HR blogger Trish McFarlane recently pointed out that I’m a storyteller. I’ve found that it’s the best way to convey even the simplest concepts. And since I’ve had such a bizarre life (wrestling a luggage thief to the ground this past week, for example), I have an endless supply of tales from my own misadventures. This is one such story.

As a child growing up in suburban Wisconsin, I was a barely tamed animal of sinew, dirt and boundless energy. It was not unusual to spot my beanpole frame loping around the neighborhood with a goofy grin and magnetic attraction to trouble.  Shocking, I know.

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Yes, I said people are dying, and I’m not saying it to be dramatic. It’s happening about once every fifteen seconds every single day in every way imaginable. (Yep, someone just died as you read that stat.)

Is this my employer’s fault? Is it even their responsibility to be in the middle of this mess in the first place? I say it is not. But of course I’ve already completed my homework assignments.

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You are HR. You are human. You are resourceful.

You are psychologist, psychiatrist and therapist. You are corporate conscious personified. You are a closed door confidant.

You are baby announcer and obituary writer. You are Kleenex distributor. You are safe.

You are problem solver, mediator, arbitrator and lawyer. You are judge, jury and executioner. You are court reporter and record keeper.

You are timekeeper and clock watcher. You are attendance taker and vacation planner. You are sick days. You are holidays.

You are technologist and vendor manager. You are requirements definer, tire kicker, systems tester and disaster recoverer. You are procurement officer and RFP writer.

You are call center agent and case manager. You are insourced, outsourced and cosourced.

You are legislator and risk mitigator. You are lobbyist and influencer. You are policy maker and labor negotiator.

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Yes, they had a broken mute button.

“Oh crap”, said the mocking executive on the other side of the speakerphone. “Mark… umm… well… sorry…” was the half-apology as he quickly tried to backpedal. Everyone on my side was a bit stunned and then I started to smile. My response?

I pretended our mute button was broken too and said in a false whisper, “C’mon people. These guys really did their homework. How did they know I love the sound of my own voice???”

This broke the tension, we all had a good laugh and successfully wrapped the call ten minutes later.

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My family needed me. I had to be present both physically and mentally. Everything else could wait.

Although I am a vocal proponent of the wonderful benefits that social media can afford, I must emphatically suggest that each of us consider a dose of detoxification. Here’s why:

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Having just completed the fifteenth (and longest) move of my adult life, I decided to take a markedly different approach. These are the lessons I learned along the way.

Lesson 1: Pick A Destination

This takes time, focus and a willingness to look at the realities of your situation through untainted glasses. Make lists. Do research. Talk with those who have already “arrived”. Be honest and allow the emotions to flow. After all, you’re about to change your life.

Lesson 2: Take Stock Of What You Have

Inventory everything. Dust off those items/issues/passions that you haven’t pulled out of the closet for years. You might be surprised to find things that you either thought you had lost or perhaps forgot you ever had. Take a hard look and decide what’s worth keeping.

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But before we look forward, let’s journey back to December of 2008 and see how I fared with my 2009 predictions.

2009 – HR and The Year of The Ox

We had turned to the Chinese Zodiac to guide our predictions for 2009. Did the Ox serve us well? Let’s find out:

Prediction #1: HR will add tremendous value, but not in areas they desire.

Reality: With a direct hit, I (unfortunately) sunk this particular battleship. In fact, I’m just going to include what we said last year to prove the point:

“Executives will turn to you to tackle some of least desirable work in the enterprise. They will count on your discretion, ability to navigate tricky waters and keep them out of trouble, and to do so without a single complaint. Training and experience will matter most and you will perform well. However, this is not what you hoped to be doing with your HR career as transactions will supersede transformation at almost every turn.”

Prediction #2: For many of you, this will be your last year in HR.

Reality: A mixed bag, as many of you did indeed turn out the lights on your own position after downsizing dozens, hundreds or thousands of employees. According to Workforce Management’s 2009 HR Anxiety Survey, many did consider exiting the profession, especially after conducting extensive layoffs. Where my prediction was completely off base was the belief that a newfound distaste for the profession would drive many of you to truly self-select out of HR for greener pastures. But as we all know, grass wasn’t growing anywhere else in 2009, so those who had a job were largely grateful for the simple pleasures of a paycheck and continued benefits.

Prediction #3: HR vendors will take a beating.

Reality: I was largely correct. In reaction to broader economic conditions, most organizations faced several rounds of layoffs in 2009, and HR vendors were no exception. Many took this as an opportunity to reexamine their value proposition, messaging, product strategy, market segmentation, sales and distribution, while others simply hunkered down and waited for the storm to pass. In the past few months, I have witnessed a resurgence of activity from venture firms who see a highly fragmented market that’s ripe for consolidation.

Prediction #4: Welcome to HR 2.0.

Reality: This was a miss. Although there are some wonderful examples of HR embracing new media in 2009, those early adopters still represent a disproportionately small percentage of the overall HR population. The one notable exception may be recruiting as the use of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (in decreasing order of popularity) continues to be touted as table stakes for the modern talent management strategy.

2010 – Year of the HR Truism

With questionable performance in 2009, let’s go ahead and jump right into my thoughts for the first year of the new decade. Wow… a new decade. Remember ten years ago when we thought the world’s infrastructure would fail because of Y2K? No need to stockpile this time around.

In the spirit of “what’s old is new again”, I firmly believe that 2010 will unfortunately repeat some of same tired old truisms that continue to be part of industry folklore. If you’re wondering what a “truism” is, Merriam-Webster defines it as an undoubted or self-evident truth; especially one too obvious to mention.

Since we’re masters of the obvious, I’ll mention them anyway:

Prediction #1: The Vocal Minority Will Be Unhappy

Pockets of industry discontent grew louder in 2009 and I don’t see any means of bottling this particular genie. To the contrary, I suspect calls for material change will continue to be heard and that many are starting to take note of the vocal minority. However, to go mainstream, HR’s largest influencers will need to materially participate in defining, developing and nurturing this next generation of thinking. It will not be easy, glass will be broken and feathers ruffled. However, if properly organized and clearly outcome-based, this could be a very exciting year for (r)evolutionary change.

Why It’s A Truism: The vocal minority has always been unhappy and it hasn’t resulted in moving the industry in a measurable way. Why should 2010 be any different?

Prediction #2: Technology Will Fix What Ails Us

With so much noise surrounding the various and sundry means of leveraging social media, many have lost sight of the underlying strategies that these tools are meant to enable. It sounds trite, but we all know that tools are just tools… don’t we? Many will look to technology to fix what ails them and therefore lose sight of the destination. Scope your projects tightly and only look to technology once you clearly understand how it will address explicit and well-defined outcomes factored against the nuances of your organization.

Why It’s A Truism: This is an age-old problem in human resources. Technology has often been viewed as an end versus a means. Shocking, I know.

Prediction #3: The Value Of Memberships Will Be (Passively) Questioned

You all have industry memberships. In fact, on average you hold approximately eight active memberships to a wide variety of paid and unpaid industry groups and forums. But let’s face it, 2010 is going to be busy and you will reflect back on 2009 and ponder where you truly found value when times were tough. You don’t have the capacity to attend all the conferences, read all the publications, attend all the local chapter meetings and log into dozens of social networking sites, forums and affinity groups. You will quietly say “enough already” and make some hard choices. Many of you have done this already. That being said, you may retain many of these affiliations (especially if your company pays for them) and passively vote with your time. This may shock some low-value players as they review their utilization rates and engagement statistics this time next year.

Why It’s A Truism: We have always complained about the value of our memberships yet seem to rarely vote with our feet or participate in driving change from within.

Prediction #4: Managers Will Terrorize HR

Managers need HR because managers are generally incompetent, and nowhere is this more acutely felt than when the engines of growth start to turn. Economists remain torn as to when a full-blown recovery will kick into high gear, but is generally believed this will hit in late Q3/early Q4 2010. As HR professionals, you know exactly what this means. Whining line managers who never listened will come clamoring in droves for your services. I use “terrorize” because that’s how it works – an unexpected, unplanned attack that wreaks havoc upon the psyche of the unsuspecting. What do you do? Start planning now. Get the troops in order and preemptively strike.

Why It’s A Truism: If you solved the manager dilemma you would work yourself right out of a job. Don’t believe me? Listen to this candid interview with Laurie Ruettimann (if you dare).

Thoughts?

On bended knee, I implore you to please, please prove me wrong. I would love nothing more than to open this post in December of 2010 and join you in a hearty laugh at my shortsightedness and ignorance. In fact, I’m going to work actively in 2010 to try and crush my crystal ball to pieces. I hope you’ll join me in doing the same, because I know I can’t do it alone.

I say it every post, but others are starting to use my little catch phrase in their communications:

“… let’s keep the conversation going.”

I truly mean it. Write me. Call me. Message me on Twitter. Comment below. Brief me on the unbelievably cool things you’re doing and let’s spread the word. Remember this – I work for you, and the future is in your hands.

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