A Break From Regular Programming

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Wait, there hasn't been any regular programming here lately, has there? 

Sometimes, I am in control of things. Most days, that illusion crumbles to a fine dust and I know it's time to for me to hang out and wait for my mind to settle and for the words to come. I clearly have not been posting so, what have I been doing?

By day, I've been #TrenchHR'ing and by night, I've been: 

Women of HR'ing. Women of HR is a site dedicated to the development of women in business. It's not just about content, it's about providing the support women need in order to be successful and confident, no matter what path they choose to take. You need to check us out. Really.  

What else have I been up to?

  • Finishing up a presentation for a Central Minnesota SHRM Caffeinated Learning session: "Don't Should on Me - Peace, Love, and Social Media," March 2011.
  • Framing up a presentation overview for the Human Resource Professional Association (HRPA) - Peel Chapter:  "Have You Checked Your Credibility Lately?" May 2011
  • Participating in Project Social with my uber-supportive partner in crime: William Gould, a super HR professional doing great things. Check out his blog HR Soot and connect with him on Twitter.
  • Putting plans in place for a Social Media track for MNSHRM 2011 with my fine, forward-looking, energetic and fearless leaders Kelly Walz and Josh Rock.
  • Welcoming double digits with the kid as she turned 10 - Harry Potter style. 

Falling asleep pondering what things that keep me up at night for Drive Thru HR Convenient Conversations, February 8, 2011, 12:00 - 12:30 http://tobtr.com/s/1470249 

  • Last but not least, I am organizing the multitude of Post-it notes by my phone with the names of the friends I am woefully delinquent in returning calls to.

So, as I dust off the cobwebs on the site, tell me, what have you been up to?

When Do You Trump The Outcome of a Proven Process?

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I was looking back through older posts for inspiration on an issue and came across this post from 2007. I don't even recall what the issue was but the message is about doing what's right and how we (and our processes) can get in the way.

If your HR is anything like my HR, you have processes. If your organization is anything like my organization, you have people. If your people are anything like my people, they have professional opinions, personal opinions and their own views of the world.

When personal opinions and personal views of the world creep into a professional work place process, my mode of operation is to let the process run its course and to keep the personal stuff out of it, especially if the process is a proven one.

So, what if  the proven process runs its course and, in the end, the outcome is called to question. What if the outcome MAY be perceived as detrimental to the integrity of the program? In a perfect world, processes established would always support and honor the integrity of the program but, we are human, we are not perfect and it just doesn't always work that way.

Now what?

At this point, there are two choices: accept the outcome or recommend a trump of the outcome. There are pros and cons to each and neither is without its repercussions. Weigh them out. 

  • How did the process produce this outcome?
  • Why is there an issue with the outcome? Is the issue valid?
  • Where does the program value lie - in the process or in the outcome?
  • What are the risks in compromising this? What are the benefits?
  • Is your organization willing to accept that? Are you?

Hard questions for a hard decision when the answers are not very clear. So, quiet the noise and do what's right.

Photo credit iStock Photo