Survey after employee survey, focus group after focus group and interview after interview, employees tell you that the thing they dislike most at work is meetings.
Now think about this: What will be going on when human resource management professionals finally arrive “at the table,” which is where the field continues to say it wants to be? This is a meeting, with participants talking about doing things, but where many are not actually engaging in action. In reality, the table is likely to be a big disappointment.
This year, let’s all agree to drop the goal of being at the table after all. Instead, how about striving to be “in the jungle?”
This means HR professionals will be out working with people in the business who are making things happen. If getting into the jungle is a goal, then it means we need to convert the “Laws of the Jungle” so we have a guide for our success.
It is important to realize that “kill is be killed” is indeed the reality for today’s businesses. Competition is alive and well, and there are forces moving quickly trying to put your company out of business. No one is safe; just think about the firms in bankruptcy over the last few years that many thought were immune from such tragedy.
The saying also applies to the field of HR management. Look around today and you’ll see forces in play working to wipe out the HR function.
First, we have the rise of outsourcing; traditional administrative human resource work is going away. Second, there is the very popular addition of executive coaching, where one of the most important roles for an HR insider is being done by an external firm or individual. Third, corporate communications and marketing executives are laying claim to the work of employee engagement.
These examples demonstrate that if human resource management, as a field, is not relevant, is not moving fast enough, and not meeting the needs of the organization, there are many other people and organizations ready, willing, and able to take on the work that needs to be done. So kill or be killed applies not just to your organization, but also to your department and to your job.
How do HR professionals prepare to get out into the jungle that is the organization, and in a very civilized way, learn to protect themselves, mingle with the natives, learn from the various species encountered, and bring the learning back to the rest of the organization? How does HR management become more relevant? What can everyone do tomorrow that is different from what you are doing today?
Kerrian said that when her daughter turned age 3 and began the inevitable tantrum phase, she began the mantra, “Now, Bella, don’t get upset. How do we solve the problem? What are our options?” And so, the subtle process of learning to problem-solve was used when dreaded string beans were put in front of her or her dolls were fighting with each other.
Kerrian then told a story of her daughter in her pre-school class. Kerrian was walking down the hallway to pick up her daughter when she heard a big commotion in the classroom. She heard Bella’s voice over the commotion saying, “Now, everyone, don’t get upset. How do we solve the problem? What are our options?” Kerrian peaked around the classroom door to see the look of shock on the teacher’s face while this small person organized the class, got them in teams, and helped them talk through their differences.
This is exactly what we all need for the jungle; it provides one with the ability to be ready for the unexpected. It is not just having problem-solving skills that is important, however. The courage to get up in front of strangers, take action, and use your skills is even more important.
In the jungle, where the law is to kill or be killed, the courageous, intelligent, problem-solver can create calm and bring out the best in people.
By knowing the lay of the land (understanding the business); getting the right people together (talent management); assuring the guide is doing his/her job (getting information and communicating it); and overcoming obstacles (everyone doing his/her job as well as they can), the kill or be killed mantra can be changed to win or lose, with your team being in the winner’s circle every time.
