My First Post!

Welcome to Living in the Gray!

I am excited to launch this blog!  I have been following other HR-centricbloggers over the past few years, and I have gained much inspiration fromthem.  I am now ready to add my voice tothe mix as we work to progress the Human Resources industry forward.

HR is the business of people.  People are not easy.  Rarely is anything in HR black andwhite.  Truly, how often is lifeblack and white?  This is my inspirationfor Living in the Gray.  Throughout mycareer and my life, I have encountered situations that were not clear; theanswer was not obvious or apparent.  Ithink everyone can relate. 

When I’ve been asked what someone should know or do toprepare for a career in HR, I always say ‘get ready to live in the gray.’  To some, this concept is bizarre.  Isn’t HR all about policies, procedures, andtransactions that are orderly and exacting? To those who think that, I offer this suggestion: go to Wal-mart or anamusement park for a couple of hours and just observe the crowd.  Then tell me how black and white you thinkthe business of people is.

My precious Emily

Perhaps one of the most gray experiences of my life hasbeen in being a parent – specifically, being mom to a special needs child.  My second and youngest daughter, Emily, is onthe autism spectrum.  The journey ofnavigating her disabilities has been long and hard.  Nothing is cut and dry.  There is no manual to tell me exactly what todo.  I have no idea what to expect in thefuture.  It is a dense and foggy grayarea of my life.  I have no answer to the‘why’ so I try my best each day to fulfill my duties as mother to this specialchild that God placed in my care. Thankfully, I am able to utilize my HR and parenting skills in anysituation as needed.  The two are not sodifferent and I want to utilize this platform to help bring understanding toboth. 

My sweet Avery

This blog will also feature articles written by my oldestdaughter, Avery.  Avery is 12 years oldand is in the sixth grade.  She is acompetitive dancer and plays softball. She is also a Girl Scout and the best big sister in the world.  Avery loves to write and she is veryinterested in HR (proud mom!)  I am oftenintrigued by her perspectives and I think you will be too. 

I also live in the gray because it’s in my blood – my scarletand gray blood, to be specific.  I am aproud alum and huge fan of The Ohio State University Buckeyes! 

Ohio State v. TTUN, November 2018

If you have any suggestions or questions, please feelfree to reach out. 

Thank you for visiting!

Christie