Bringing humanity into human resources? Imagine that.
One of the ironies of the way many organizations, including mission-driven nonprofits, approach human resources is that humans are almost an afterthought. It’s HR that’s more focused on protecting the organization from getting into trouble than on supporting the people working in it.
The reason I went into human resources in the first place and became an HR consultant is because people matter to me. And I believe they ought to matter to you and to your organization too, if for no other reason than the fact that you can’t do what you want to do in the world without them.
The people who work for you and alongside you are crucial to reaching your mission.
Whatever the goal of your nonprofit, whatever big world-shifting, positive impact you hope to have cannot and will not happen without the people working with you. And if you’re not treating them with dignity, honesty and respect, with equity and with justice, you’re doing a disservice to them and to your organization’s mission.
Mine is an unapologetically people-centered, proactively compassionate, approach to HR. It’s an approach designed to help humans thrive. And organizations thrive too.
Listening. Honesty. Transparency. You’d be surprised how well that works.
Well, maybe you wouldn’t, if you thought about it. We all have highly tuned BS meters. None of us like to get the runaround. None of us like to be on the receiving end of HR speak – you know, the blah, blah, blah that doesn’t end up saying much of anything.
We all like to be truly seen and really heard. And we like to hear the truth. Even if the truth is painful. So that’s how I approach human resources. As a resource for humans, not the other way around.
The way I work with your employees is also how I work with you.
Listening, honesty and transparency are also key to how I like to work with any organization that hires me. Starting with our first conversation, I will listen to what you’re really saying, and work to understand what your organization’s true needs and struggles are. And then in conversation with you, I’ll develop ideas on how I can best support your team – I don’t believe in one size fits all.
I am a collaborative problem solver and when you bring me on as a consultant I see myself as your partner…one that’s as committed to your mission and your people as you are. When we work together, you can trust me for honesty and a willingness not to shy away from difficult conversations. I will always want to know what you really think – and I will let you know what I think too.
I believe that making the implicit explicit, combined with straight talk makes for the best kind of communication and for the most productive working relationships. I also keep my fee schedule transparent. My fees are driven by what it costs to complete the work and nothing more.
