Hand Slapping HR
/HR is on the move.
Open any issue of any HR magazine and you'll see phrases like "develop strategies that align with your organizational goals, mission and brand" and "identifying and rewarding the best and the brightest in the organization." On your favorite HR blog and you'll see tag words like "business, partner, people, innovation, problem solver and change."
On most days, we're running on possibility, vision, objective and goals. On other days, it takes a little something else to keep the train on the tracks.
On some days there's nothing like a good old fashioned "no."
No, you can not over spend your award budget. No, you can't discipline her without telling her what she did wrong and asking her why.
No, you can not charge him AWOL after you approved his leave. No, you can not promote her into a job that does not exist.
Does that sound too crabby? Ok, how about this?
Yes, you are most definitely the deciding official and I am only the advisor but no, I will not have your back when they haul you off to jail. Yes, you must notify the union of changes in conditions of employment and negotiate impact and implementation in good faith but no, you do not ask for their permission.
Better?
Is this the way you want your HR to be? No, not really. Not all the time but a little hand slap every now and then never hurt anybody.
Photo credit iStockphoto
