Welcome, join us as we dive into the dynamic and crucial, yet often misunderstood and barely tolerated world of Human Resources (HR).

LIKE me, I’m sure that it would not be a day too soon if you never heard the words new normal, pivot or disrupt ever again. As clichéd as these words have become, it’s hard to ignore the fact that things have changed; that everything has changed, including our people.

In this new world, our personal and work lives have collided in a new work-from-home reality. For many, this will be our forever reality. And, in this new reality, do we know how our people are really doing?

Slowly but surely outside almost ‘start keep again’, but what’s been happening inside behind our muted microphones and blacked-out cameras?

We’ve talked here before about the effects that overwhelm, frustration, isolation, exhaustion, and uncertainty of the last year and a half have had on our teams and organisations. However, in the middle of all that this unprecedented time has demanded of us, do we know how our people, the individuals, are doing? Does anyone know how you are really doing?

IS IT EVEN OUR BUSINESS?

“How are you?”

I often greet people with those three little words. Almost every time it amazes me how off guard it catches them.

Some stutter, not sure if that’s what they heard. But what I get most often at the end of their response is, “Thanks for asking.”

As an example, statistics tell us that domestic violence has increased significantly during this pandemic. Now, more than ever, the recommendations about focusing on team members’ total well-being, especially their mental health, have come front and centre as a people matter not to be ignored.

Many of us are juggling more hats than ever before and we’re still required to show up for work and deliver without missing a beat.

I’d venture to guess that behind the muted microphones and blacked-out cameras, many of our team members are having a meltdown right in front of us and we don’t know it, simply because we haven’t taken the time to engage this human resource.

Before you roll your eyes and dismiss this as HR mumbo jumbo, consider that these uncomfortable people-related challenges and situations that have surfaced will not tackle themselves. Furthermore, left unaddressed they will surely affect team engagement, productivity, and overall performance; and this in turn affects the company’s bottom line.

I NEED YOU, YOU NEED ME

But who needs who more here? Does the organisation need the people, or do the people need the organisation? That debate could go on and on. But one thing is for certain… one can’t exist without the other.

Of course, the bottom line is important. But there’s a whole lot more to any organisation than its bottom line. The team, the people, who deliver that bottom line is just as important.

How then do we take care of our people beyond the health plans and fitness programmes?

What do engagement and performance management look like in our now environment?

How do we balance meeting the demands of our organisations with the needs of our team?

How do we keep the human in our resources even while we keep our eyes on the bottom line?

And perhaps then the question isn’t, “Is it our business?” Maybe the better question is, “Can we afford to not make it our business?”

THREE LITTLE WORDS

This matter of people and their intertwined personal and work lives is uncomfortable. Plus, it takes time, lots of time to address it.

But I encourage you this week to ask a team member those three little words, “How are you?”and I double dare you to stop long enough to listen to the answer.

Talk more soon,

Carolyn.

My name is Carolyn Bolt. HR happened upon me seven years ago, and there has been no turning back from this challenging, critical, very rewarding and often frustrating matter of people since then. Reach me at peoplematter.s21@gmail.com.