One of my favorite parts of Business Week is the last page. For those of you who only read online, the actual last page of the magazine is always a column called “The Welch Way” by Jack and Suzy Welch. Granted, they could come up with a catchier title, but generally, the advice is worth reading and on point.
Recently, they published their annual “Dear Graduate” article, a commencement address of sorts. While not as entertaining as Ellen’s speech to Tulane, I thought the advice was worth repeating to the HR pros out there regardless of new grad or “seasoned” executive status. The premise of the piece is advice on how to succeed in a sucky economy, so I think you’ll agree it is relevant to all.
Do read the full article, and here are the four “codicils” highlighted with my commentary to HR:
#1 – “Get off your computer.” HR folks tend to like to hide behind technology. Whether it was the old-timey voicemail message left after hours or the policy riddled email – we’ve all done it. It is easier to tell employees they will now have to pay to park or to remind the Sales Director that his reviews are a year overdue via technology, right!?! Jack and Suzy are not saying they don’t love technology and use it appropriately, but they are saying that to get ahead you have to get in front of people. Building relationships only leads to good things – whether it is a promotion, recognition, increased credibility or being “in the know”, so get out from behind your desk…NOW.
#2 – “You’ve got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues.” Here, our gurus are referring to the desire of new grads to have work-life balance and they suggest that you’ve got to EARN your stripes before asking for balance of any sort. I love the thought that “flexibility is a reward, not an entitlement”. FOT regulars know this is some of my favorite HR jargon. Balance is possibly achievable in HR if you work in a status-quo job in a company where everyone is 9 to 5, and really, how fun is that??!
#3 – “Love everyone.” OK, so seems a bit odd coming from Jack but the follow-on comments deal with office politics and how people attempt to align themselves with one group or the other in order to get ahead. HR folks fall into this trap as well, in addition to thinking we know more than anyone else when it comes to people, culture and organizational structure. Truly listening to your co-workers, regardless of where they sit on an org chart, and believing there is something of value you can gain from those interactions is critical for HR.
#4 – “Please stop apologizing if you have a business degree.” Yes, capitalism has taken a credibility hit but Jack and Suzy emphasize that business is still a noble profession. HR is part of that profession that helps create “jobs, opportunity and hope” and we all need to remember that – especially when 50% or more of HR jobs today deal with RIFs, expense control and doing more with less. Stop apologizing and/or agonizing if you are in HR right now. This too shall pass.
Whether you are a new grad or HR type struggling in today’s environment, Jack & Suzy have sound advice. My two cents to the HR pros…well, is my advice. What would you add?
Kathy,
Love the comment on balance – it is the most misunderstood concept around – work-life balance. You have to do and be great at your professional life, to be able get balance in your personal life – not the other way around. Too many HR people are selling this the wrong way – primarily because they want to be out of the office by 4pm, 3pm on Fridays. This type of thinking sets many new grads up for failure.
Couldn’t agree less with the concept that balance is only for people who have paid their dues. Balance isn’t about having lots of time off. It’s about feeling like you have the opportunity to handle ALL aspects of your life effectively: both worth and stuff outside of it.
Since when is that not something EVERYONE should have access to, regardless of career level?
Maybe that means you handle some emails at night or take a call or two on the weekend. Maybe that means you leave work at 3 every day, too. But paying your dues because that’s what people have always done and that’s the only way that you can do great work – I call bullshit.
Paying your dues, to me, is about immersing yourself fully in a job you can get passionate about and one that allows you to do things you’re good at (and develop a few new ones). If that’s your concept of paying your dues (and not the traditional “put in your hours” way), it’s hard not to find balance.
Forgot to mention: the rest of your advice – spot on! =)
Chris – thanks for the comments and I get your reaction to the work-life balance thing. I’m not suggesting that “paying your dues” via facetime is required to have some balance. My perspective is there is 1) no such thing as work-life balance b/c we spend way too much time at work or thinking about work and therefore things outside of work do tend to take a back-seat at times and 2)whether you are a new grad or tenured HR exec you have to earn the ability to have flexibilty (i.e. trust). There is always going to be give-and-take – sometimes stuff is happening at work and you have to miss your workout AND other times the personal stuff takes priority so you bag out of your last meeting to get to a soccer game.
The HR challenge is to make sure we are communicating what our corporate culture embraces (or doesn’t)up front.Candidates can then decide if they’d rather find the 9-5 gig or if they are up for earning trust via their performance and can then juggle work-life stuff as appropriate.
Good comments Chris.
I think that Gen Y aren’t trusted enough to be in control of their work-life balance because they aren’t considered to have ‘paid their dues’ by other more senior people in the workplace.
This happened to me in one of my first jobs out of Uni. My managers were allowed to work from home, take time out to pick up their kids from School, and I was working 12 hours days and got dirty looks if I left at 5:30pm.
It made me really unhappy and I thought it was grossly unfair. I didn’t want to work there anymore and looked for other opportunities.
Everyone should be given the opportunity to demonstrate they can manage their worklife balance (no matter how old or how experienced they are) and as long as they are performing, Managers should be happy.
I would add “Be honest”, or at least as honest as you can, to the list. Facilitate open communication and transparency within the organization, for grads and HR pros alike. Employment relationships based upon lies or half truths will not be successful long term.
@Kathy – thanks for the clarification. Follow-up thoughts. What kind of message does it send that you have to “earn your trust first”? Doesn’t that imply, “we hired you, but we don’t trust you”? Why are you hiring people if you don’t trust them to get their work done without being under the armed guard of the employer?
C – I believe trust is continually earned and can also be withdrawn depending on a person’s behaviors (Covey’s Emotional Bank Acct concept). Just because you have an offer letter doesn’t mean you automatically have trusting relationships across the organization. You have to come in and establish your own credibility, respect and yes, earn people’s trust every single day.