It’s time to flip the calendar and start the new month with a fresh outlook. Forget the trick and treats, it’s time to get November underway and create some fireworks!
#InspireHR is my new monthly feature designed to inspire and motivate us each month to give us that get up and go that sometimes we struggle to find.
As HR practitioners it is our job to support the workforce but ultimately who takes care of us? So my message to you for November is simply, just be you!
In HR we face so many different challenges which can sometimes take its toll on us, it can be difficult to maintain a professional stance and not allow emotions to take over (we’ve all been there) and this can have a detrimental effect on our confidence which can hinder our ability to deliver the service that we would expect of ourselves.
After speaking at a recent graduation ceremony at Northampton College I expressed the importance of approaching situations in your own way and using best practice as a support mechanisms as opposed to the other way around, which is where HR can become robotic. Being yourself and having a human approach to situations can really help us grasp what we are trying to achieve, whether that is handling a grievance, assisting with a project or even doing the business as usual tasks.
Being approachable, flexible, resilient and reliable are key attributes to a successful career within HR and you cannot achieve that by pretending to be something that you are not as soon enough the cracks will start to show and “work you” will unravel. Being you is often scary and this is where self doubt starts to appear; you are your own worst critic and we too often focus on the negative rather than the positive. It is time that we focussed more on the positive to make you stand out for all the right reasons.
I recently attended the annual CIPD Midlands Area Partnership event in Warwickshire where Peter Cheese addressed the importance of being human at work and that the future of work has to be human. I was particularly excited to hear the closing keynote from Joy Marsden, I have heard a lot of positive things about Joy prior to the event but I had no idea how much her speech would resonate not just with me but everyone in the room at the same time and it is quite something to experience!
Joy speaks with such passion, warmth and a fantastic sense of humour and whilst I cannot give her secrets away (if you get the chance to see her speak, certainly make sure you don’t miss it!) she simplifies the process into developing yourself to be you, helping you to face challenges and dealing with the steps in the best way that only you can.
For those of you who know me personally, know that I am a sucker for a book, I love books and business books in particular! I have purchased and read Joy’s book “Keep Stepping” and I have to admit that this is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read, it is quick to read, a fantastic reference point to visit from time to time (I now have my copy at my desk in work) and it is a book we can all relate to, no matter what stage of our career.
We are unique and it would be a really dull planet if we were all the same! It’s time we celebrated ourselves, shifted the self doubt and be confident in the knowledge that we know our stuff, that is why we are in HR and that is what we went into the profession to do. Without our people, the would not be a need for HR in the first place so we need to ensure that we not only look after the workforce but we need to make sure we look after ourselves; we can’t do that hidden behind a mask.
Thank you to Joy herself for allowing me to mention her book on my blog. If you would like a copy of your own you can buy a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Stepping-Essential-Yourself-Challenge/dp/0993381405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477947235&sr=8-1&keywords=Joy+marsden
If you have any must reads for a future blog of #InspireHR then please feel free to send me an email! I will see you all back here for #CIPDACE16 next week where coverage is going to start on a train…
Natalie Ellis HR 