Yes, this COVID craziness has caused you as an HR professional to become more creative, adaptable, and productive. You’ve had to either implement or help to create new ways to support your organization’s workforce near or far, as they struggle to be creative, adaptable, and productive. Let’s just say, it’s not been easy. But, you’ve done it. You’re doing it. And, there’s so much more to do. However, instead of wilting from exhaustion, I encourage you to focus on the opportunities this craziness has provided for you to shine, share your expertise with the decision-makers, make a positive impact, and support even more needed changes.

Focus on the opportunities this craziness has provided for you to shine, share your expertise with the decision-makers, make a positive impact, and support even more changes

As part of my work with leaders on strategic planning, succession planning, and leadership coaching and training, I interact with HR professionals constantly. In fact, frequently the CHRO, HR Director, or HR Manager is my main point of contact for project coordination and implementation. As part of the project plan, my team and I work closely with the client’s HR team to help them learn how to be ‘us’ internally. My team needs the client’s HR team to be the eyes and ears of the project internally so we can adjust, pivot, back up, or jump ahead as needed. However, too often, my team and I have discovered our HR points of contact often have limited perspectives on the possibilities of their roles within their organizations because of how HR has been viewed or ‘used’ internally through the years.

We’ve discovered our HR points of contact often have limited perspectives on the possibilities of their roles within their organizations because of how HR has been viewed or ‘used’ internally through the years

Helping our HR colleagues learn to shine, share their expertise, and initiate and implement impactful projects enterprise-wide is an incredibly exciting aspect of our work. Not every HR professional we work with needs to aspire to be a CHRO or HR Director. But given our projects and the HR expertise we rely on, we need experts to support us and client leadership teams during discussions on labor law, compensation, diversity/equity/inclusion/accessibility, benefits administration, recruitment and retention, workforce culture, training, and on and on. The opportunities to share HR expertise are limitless.

The opportunities to share HR expertise are limitless

Now you may be thinking: But I don’t know if I have the right skills to do anything different in HR other than what I’m doing now! That’s understandable. But don’t let that self-doubt stop you from trying. As your first step, take SHRM’s 6-question assessment to determine which HR paths seem like strong fits for you. Then pursue those paths and their insights. Dig deep. Take classes. Get certified. Become THE expert and THE go-to person within your team, your department, your organization, and for the decision-makers.
Decision-makers typically don’t care who has a specific title. They want to know: Who has the answers? When you provide the answers, you gain their trust. When you’ve got their trust, you’ve got their ears. You are then in the powerful, figurative position to help shape policies. You can help change workforce culture. You can help enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. You can impact benefits and wages. When you have the expertise and you competently share it with decision-makers to get things done, you’re in demand.

Invest in yourself. Become an expert. Earn their trust.

Copyright MMXX – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz supports clients with strategic and succession planning, as well as leadership training and executive coaching. Learn more about Liz on LinkedIn!