Are you giving thanks…or should-ing all over yourself?

I absolutely love the holidays.  For me, the most wonderful time of the year begins in September with football and pumpkins.  I blissfully go through the wonder of fall in October, culminating with Thanksgiving in November.  Once the Starbucks cups turn red, it’s on for the holiday season.  It’s go time – Christmas music, Christmas shows and movies, planning festivities, buying gifts, decorating – I absolutely love it all. 

Some people don’t feel the same way I do about the holidays.  Some people in my own family would be perfectly fine not having the holidays at all.  I view this as blasphemy and a tragedy.  But I see the source of stress for some at this time of the year – they are ‘should-ing’ all over themselves. 

I get it – there is a lot of pressure to do certain things: bake the cookies, mail the cards, see the play, attend church, visit every relative under the sun, etc.  It’s exhausting.  I see the pressure building on people to the point they want to forget it all.  But I think it’s very important for everyone to try to keep perspective on what is truly important.  You have to view all the other stuff as noise and learn to block it out.  Change ‘what I should do’ to ‘what I want to do’. 

I am seeing this same problem in HR and it’s concerning.  Too many HR professionals are not trusting themselves and not focusing on what’s truly important at work – the employees.  We’re too caught up in policies and what ‘should’ be done.  I know many are tired of hearing the phrase, ‘put the human back in HR’ but there is truth to it.  We need to remember that our employees are people, they are human beings – for better or worse.  Sometimes we have to step outside of our boxes and just do what’s best and right for our people.  And that is what separates the good employers from the not so good.  Which do you want to support?

Here’s an example – for many years it was thought that HR should be solely responsible for employee terminations.  If you hear whisperings when you walk into a room and someone says, ‘uh oh, HR is here, someone is getting fired’ – that’s where it comes from.  It’s ridiculous.  Yes, HR should support the manager of the exiting employee and help ensure all ducks are in a row.  But always having HR deliver that message?  That’s not right.  That exiting employee was once a new hire, a valued member of the team.  How disrespectful to have someone other than the direct supervisor terminate!  Would you want to be fired by someone other than your boss?  If this practice is going on in your organization, let the leadership team know it stops now. 

Over the past 20 months, HR has really earned its stripes.  We have proven value to organizations like never before.  Hang onto that, harness it.  Demand your strategic position in your company.  If your management cares at all about culture, attraction, and retention, they will gladly accept your seat. 

I encourage everyone to really focus on the joys of the holiday season.  Do it how you WANT to and throw away those ‘shoulds’.  Blessings and peace to you and yours!  Happy Thanksgiving!