As HR professionals, we are used to our time not being our own. We go in to work on Monday morning full of vim and vinegar ready to accomplish the needle-moving, impact-making list of to do’s we have ambitiously laid out for ourselves. By Friday, we have accomplished nothing on the list and instead have run ourselves ragged navigating unforeseen, insurmountable, you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up obstacles and onslaughts throughout the week.
We are Christine Sinclaire solving a manager-employee conflict.
We are Simone Biles clearing compliance hurdles.
We are Shalane Flanagan beating the clock on PFML communication.
And what do these athletes have in common? They have passion and drive and ambition. They also have coaches, get massages and invest in the development of their bodies and minds to compete at the top of their game.
As HR professionals, we research, evaluate and recommend coaches and training and development for our employee populations but when was the last time you invested in your own development? How are HR teams caring for themselves? How are we restoring and rejuvenating our mental and emotional acuity in order to continue to give our best to the organizations we serve?
So often the answer is “We don’t”. We are the proverbial cobbler’s kids walking around without shoes because Mom is busy making boots for the masses. We are helpers and helpers are often not awesome at taking a pause and caring for ourselves. But we must. In order to be our best, strongest selves, we must invest in our own development, coaching and wellbeing. I’m heading to #NEHRA2019 this afternoon for some restorative learning and networking. Consider what you can do for yourself.
You work hard to give your organization and employees the guidance and tools they need to succeed. It’s time to give yourself the same. After all, if we’re not going to have shoes, the least we can do is get a pedicure.
PS: Learn about a cool new platform offering professional development and personal growth for HR peeps.
