What's up, my HR leader friends?

Whether you're an HR Manager, Director or VP, I don't care - you're an HR leader.  So let's get away from titles and talk about what's real.

Some of you are process people.  Some of you hate process, but given the 900 things you have to get done this month, process feels like a decent place to settle into - until you can get back to changing the world.

Of course, just accepting the status quo - that's there's stuff we have to get done, and you're going to methodically guide your org in doing that stuff - can lead to a certain form of complacency.

If it was just your complacency, that might be OK (I would argue otherwise).  But the real danger is that the managers, directors and VPs you support get complacent with how they view HR.  It goes a little something like this:

The exec you support - "HR? Yeah, She's alright"

Interviewer - "What do you mean by that?"

Exec - "HR does what they do"

Interviewer - "Do they ever surprise you in a positive way?"

Exec - "Umm. No. Why would they do that? That's not really what HR is about"

How's that feel? Not great, right? Because you're capable of more.  You're capable of a positive surprise daily, if you could get out of your own way/task list of things to do.

That's OK, because I'm here to help.  If you want to change the way you're viewed in HR, start with this simple task:

Approach a leader today and recommend that they fire someone on their team.

I know. It's harsh.  But stay with me on this.

You know more about the organization's performance at an individual level better that anyone else.  You've likely provided counsel to leaders with performance issues on their team.  Many of you have listened and then provided counsel to the process those people have to follow related to performance issues.  A lot of times, that's reminding them of the need to go through a process.

But there's at least one person of a 100 in your company (do the math for the size of your org) who's ready to go.  There's a lot of them that are just languishing out there, waiting for closure.

When's the last time HR went to a manager in your org and said the following related to one of those issues:

"It's time. Let's get this done."

There's no reason to always be the order taker in HR.  Make a proactive call related to performance and the fact it's time for someone to leave the organization, and watch your reputation among your peers in other departments skyrocket.  It doesn't mean you have to fire fast in every occasion.  Actually, it provides you more cover when process is required, because if you're proactive with one (or some), your authority to guide others actually grows.

But this post isn't about process. It's about you feeling flat, and maybe some of your peers feeling you are flat.

Make a proactive recommendation to fire someone today.  I know that goes against the grain, but this blog is for HR pros, not the world.

Let's shake things up and make people appreciate you more.  We'll give the organization a bit of what it needs as we do that.