I’m not sure why but when I first heard that line many years ago (remember that bald headed songstress/activist/instigator Sinead O’Connor?) it stuck with me. For other reasons at the time it seemed to strike a cord and I started to think about what I don’t have and whether I really needed or wanted ‘what I have not got.’
It occurred to me, after a lot of reflection and soul searching, that most of what I wanted I didn’t necessarily need. I just wanted it because I thought I should have it. There was little redeeming value in any of the things that I desired. None of it was going to truly make me happy, other than to satisfy that basic human instinct wrapped up in instant gratification.
In some ways it almost seemed as if some of these needs came about from the stigma attached to being a certain age or at a certain time frame in my life that was otherwise defined by the expectations or assumptions of others around me.
Soon enough you develop your own definition of who you are and what your priorities are regardless of what others feel is appropriate or acceptable. These decisions begin to define who you are as a person and soon you become comfortable with this self-directed image. Before you realize what you’ve done you understand that other people actually accept you for who you are. The ‘you’ that’s out there for public consumption is actually unique and valued and appreciated.
OK, OK, before you click ‘next’ this isn’t turning into some sermon or excerpt from a Dr. Dwayne Dyer book. It’s an example of what far too few people in this business actually accomplish in their work lives.
How much time do you spend trying to be everything to everyone all of the time in the course of doing your daily job? How well defined is your current job? Sure, you may have a job description but how far do you stray from it on a daily basis trying to please other areas of your organization?
Some people, it should be noted, crave the role of firefighter. They enjoy the rush of always being on call and rushing to solve the latest crisis or catastrophe. If you were to tell some of these people that starting tomorrow their new job was to just handle one facet of their job, like say interview scheduling, they’d go bonkers. You might as well fit them for a white jacket and furnish their office with new wallpaper (preferably the cushioned variety in a nice bland color).
While valued, these people rarely become strategic value added contributors to the overall goals of the organization. They’re too busy reacting to get anything else done. Value added contributors who can align the strategic goals of the organization with the goals of the staffing division are very focused and constantly triangulated to their core responsibilities. They understand the difference between noise and real value added activities.
While these people always have their eye on the ball they are rarely if ever myopic in their vision of the big picture. They have very specific duties and responsibilities and never sway too far from them. However they also recognize which requests they should consider and which ones they shouldn’t.
I hear from HR people from time to time who suggest that they report to one ‘C’ level executive (perhaps a COO?) but end up feeling like they are reporting to every ‘C’ level executive as well as a group of hiring managers (usually far too many for any sane person to reasonably manage) and are constantly stressed trying to please everyone all the time.
If this is reality for you then you have a few options. Of course the one option may in fact be the obvious one – get out. Run for the nearest exit door and never look back. However for most of you perhaps it’s time to develop your own definition of what your responsibilities are.
The easiest way to accomplish that is to sit down and define exactly what your priorities are and list them on a sheet. Once you’re done with that list the second list should be of all the assumptions about what your current responsibilities are (what you’re currently expected to do) and line up both lists next to each other. See a difference?
Now if you feel it’s appropriate take the same lists to your direct supervisor, make a point of scheduling time with your (COO?) boss, and explain to them what you’ve just done. Ask them for guidance on how to handle the situation and you might be surprised at how sympathetic they are to your plea. They might even empathize and decide to help you do something about your dilemma (that includes keeping you gainfully employed).
If they are listening and they are worth their salt then they’ll understand instinctively that a well-oiled HR machine that has a chance to succeed is one of the best weapons they have in their arsenal for success.
Soon enough a well-defined set of responsibilities that are well executed can alter perceptions previously held by other departments. They soon realize that HR is not a dumping ground for their problems and may very well change their attitude and approach. Being approached as a value added contributor, that can consult with other departments and actually accomplish things, is a much more respected image in the company and something every HR department should strive for.