Aitch Are Gives You...
Hello, and welcome to my first blog of 2020!
I am pleased to say that over the holiday period I was able to complete the construction of my virtual lounge, made of the finest materials and furnishings, by way of having some comfortable digs to spend with new-found friends on Twitter. First to sample the new surroundings was Steve Browne, @sbrownehr, who quickly made himself at home, put his feet up, joined me with a good old fashioned cup of "builders tea", and got to talking about his thoughts and perspectives on HR. Aitch: So, Steve, welcome to my virtual lounge, it's great to have you along. First things first, what actually got you in to the world of HR? Steve: While I was attending college, I was failing in the field I originally had been pursuing – Chemistry. I went into the sciences because I was good at them, and it was supposed to pay the most when you graduated. However, I was spending far more time with the people around me than the numbers and various experiments. One break while I was a home, my mom talked to me about failing and encouraged me to find a field where I could be working directly with people. I changed my major from Chemistry to Interpersonal Communications. One class I took was Interviewing, and at the end of the class my fellow classmates voted on who was the best interviewer and interviewee. They voted that I should interview myself. That was the sign I needed so I sought to find a role in recruiting. I found one and have been in HR ever since over the past 34 years!! Aitch: Amazing how many stories you hear of people starting off in one field only to find that their strengths lie elsewhere... And so 34 years in, what keeps you in HR? Steve: The same thing that my mom saw in me. People. I am wired and driven to be around people. In fact, I’m rarely alone which may not be the most balanced approach to life. People fascinate me. It doesn’t matter if they’re amazing or challenging. I learn from every encounter that I have with every person. Fortunately, I’ve also been in roles where companies allowed me to have a “people first” approach. I believe that companies today, and in the years to come, need to be people-centric in order to remain relevant. I just have to be on the leading edge of that movement!! Aitch: Yes, "people first" is absolutely key. Do you feel that the wider profession embraces this? For example, at the beginning of each year it is traditional for thought-leaders to review trends. What do you think the future world of work looks like? What should we be keeping an eye out for as we enter 2020? Steve: The standard answers most give is the inevitable onslaught of AI mixed with the reality of a labor shortage. Those are important trends, but I believe it’s more basic than that. I believe the main trend to work on is “retention and development of our people.” You can substitute the word “talent” for people if you really practice in a way that values the talent of your employees and it’s more than an HR catchphrase. As mentioned earlier, companies must be consistently focused on people. I use the phrase “people matter” at the company where I work. This has to be encompassed by behavior and not words. Development is key in giving retention a chance to occur. Development, like the work experience, needs to be personalized because that is how people experience live in general. HR will succeed by practicing individually versus collectively. It works. Aitch: Love the "People Matter" mantra - I use People Matter[s] on the home page of my blog. Totally agree with your philosophy. Since I joined Twitter last July it is clear that with nearly 44,000 followers, not to mention you regularly appearing in the top HR influencer lists that occasionally appear, and also the HR Net that you curate, and all the broader speaking and writing you do in the broader HR community, you are clearly passionate about this field. But how do you manage to juggle your day-job with such an active on-line presence? Steve: I don’t know if I have a great answer for this. I mentioned earlier that I’m an over the top people person. It’s not a schtick. It’s who I am all the time. So, I don’t see social media as a time suck or something that gets in the way. I also don’t believe that it should be something where I cast some false persona in order to be seen. I see social media as a communication platform where I can connect with and talk to people. Honestly, I wish everyone would see it that way. If they did, you’d have more interactions and conversations instead of self-focused diatribes. I also think people need to know they’re valued. I don’t want to sound presumptuous or arrogant in that people have to be connected to me. However, I want to be at least one person who notices others and lets them know that who they are is important to me, and hopefully to others. It’s a bit Utopian and naïve if you ask others, but I’m good with it. I like being a contrarian by being positive. That’s a long answer to say that connecting on line is worth my time. Therefore, I make time to insert tweets and posts in the midst of my day. It’s just in my DNA and my fabric. I don’t view being on-line as something “separate” from my day. Aitch: Well, if you do manage to get any spare time, how do you like to spend it? Steve: First and foremost is time with my amazing wife, Debbie. She is my rock and supports all of my crazy involvement with speaking, writing and connecting with the global HR community. We go see movies regularly in the theater and we also go to the local theater to take in musicals and plays. I also see things a bit differently. I don’t have “spare time”. I just have time. In fact, even though I’m very involved in a multitude of ways and places, I actually have more time to do what I’d like. Rarely do I feel that I’m so pressed to not have time. It is more how I choose to use time. I don’t get overwhelmed by it. I join in and see where things go. I know this is a bit unnerving for others, but I’m sure they have their methods of using time. I read a ton, listen to music on a constant basis and make sure to check in with my friends and family around the planet. I guess I should build in some “down time”, but I don’t know if that will ever happen because once I relax, my attention is drawn to something new which makes life exciting most of the time. Aitch: Interesting distinction between not having "spare time", but just having "time". Speaking of which, we have sadly ran out of time, but thanks for being the first guest in my virtual lounge, I hope the decor was to your liking, and that you enjoyed the brew. Huge thanks also for taking time out of your schedule to sharing a little bit about who you are, and what makes you tick. Keep up the amazing work that you do in our HR community!
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AuthorSenior HR executive who has seen it all. On a mission to simplify the world of work. Archives
May 2020
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