Michele Harmon
As we move into 2021, I want to briefly look back at 2020 and praise some Human Resource (HR)/Human Capital leaders in the Permian Basin. Your HR leaders have been front and center to protect you and your employees, which is one heck of a juggling act. Often, they are the ones who bring goodwill to others while having to lay off employees—all the while never being able to show their frustrations to others. When it comes to “keeping a stiff upper lip” or “biting the bullet,” it is here that your HR leaders have excelled. “Keeping up a stiff upper lip” is of course the British credo to remain resolute when faced with adversity. “Biting the bullet” speaks of the virtue of enduring a painful and unpleasant situation that cannot be ignored. Your HR leaders have and will continue to perform the most difficult maneuvers with grace, dignity, impartiality, and ethics. Like Chief Justice Roberts, being fair means you will eventually offend everyone and not always be liked.
Great HR leaders display what the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) requires of its members and those certified through SHRM. The list is extensive and not very different from a Code of Ethics for most other professions.
Some of the many requirements:
· Adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional behavior
· Exhibit individual leadership as a role model for maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct.
· Refrain from using your position for personal, material, or financial gain or the appearance of such.
· Refrain from giving or seeking preferential treatment in the human resources processes.
· Build trust among all organization constituents by maximizing the open exchange of information while eliminating anxieties about the inappropriate and inaccurate acquisition and sharing of information.
I have had the opportunity to work all over the Permian Basin in the public and private sectors. The past year brought out the best and worst in people.
For December, I am highlighting my unsung heroes, some area HR leaders who have diligently worked to improve your organizations and the daily lives of your employees.
The first is Holly Williams, a lawyer specializing in Employment Law. She is one of only a few lawyers in West Texas who specialize in employment law. She donates her time to support public education. She works many unbillable hours, helping the Permian Basin Society of Human Resource Management (PBSHRM), working collaboratively with members to promote the organization and educate its members.
The next Human Capital leader works in public service. He leads the Permian Basin’s largest employer, Midland ISD, and his name is Woodrow Bailey. HR folks get very few pats on the back, but without his team, students would not have teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, principals, etc. His team staffs all the moving parts and pieces that allow students in our area to be fed, transported, and educated. The talented HR leaders in Ector County ISD are doing the same for their students.
Next, Angela Clemmer is the HR leader for a mid-size oil and gas organization’s Permian Basin office. She also served as the teacher in the Spring and early Fall for her two children in high school and the other in Kindergarten. She volunteered hundreds of her non-work time to further PBSHRM’s mission, along with serving on the board of another nonprofit that supports children in our area schools.
Julie Goscinski is another HR leader who manages all the HR functions for a branch of an oil and gas concern out of Houston. She works tirelessly to support her employer and its employees, continues to improve her HR expertise, volunteers hundreds of hours with PBSHRM, and takes care of her family.
The last HR leader is someone I mentored. She is impressive in her continued growth in her HR knowledge and her daily attempts to improve her employees’ lives. She wants to be anonymous, so I will call her Alice. Alice sends birthday and anniversary cards to employees, sends out a Friday newsletter that reminds employees of the special days that recognize different groups and events. Alice reminds the employees about the joy of giving and helping others and features a book a month for employees to read. Weekly newsletters contain health and nutrition tips for employees. Did you know there are eight reasons why a leader should smile? She never stops trying to improve the employees’ work experience, and everyone appreciates her efforts.
One of her newsletters contained quotes from 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc and Angel Chernoff. I like the chapter entitled, “How to Walk on Water.”
Might I suggest that as you transition into 2021, you give this list a spin?
1. Make sure you were born to walk on water.
2. Decide that nothing can stop you.
3. Work on it for real.
4. Let the whole world know what you’re up to.
5. Value the people who value your ambitions.
6. Ignore the naysayers.
7. Prepare yourself for the pain.
8. Enjoy the pain of your greatest challenge.
9. Never give up. Never quit.
What do these HR leaders have in common? They all have a Herculean heart, just like when David slew Goliath. They are not the person your employee is afraid to talk to because they help, rather than hurt, under challenging situations. These people are unselfish in giving their time and energy and are ethical and kind—these leaders power through the most demanding conditions while supporting your organizations and employees.
Each month I make a recommendation for a resource for you. This month I would like to suggest you order and read Connect First by Melanie Katzman. Katzman’s book may make a difference for you in 2021. The book is not a typical self-help book. The author sets out 52 principles to help outline a year of change. Connect First is written for a single employee working at home and the employee working in a corporate office.
It is full of simple, practical, and easily implemented ideas. She has seven chapters/parts and utilizes micro case studies at the end of each chapter to help the reader implement a given approach. The chapters move from the basics to the most important things: having the people around you who want to support your dream.
Chapters are listed below with some of the author’s comments and questions from an interview on Sarder TV.
1. Establish respect: Get the basics right.
2. Engage all your senses: How do you engage with people around you?
3. Become popular: How do you present to the people around you?
4. Grow Loyalty: How are you a better person to the team around you?
5. Resolve conflict: How do you settle a dispute to build relationships?
6. Fight fear: Face your fears and the future.
7. Have a big impact: Leverage your platform, honor history, and work across age groups.
In 2021, I am going to feature parts of the book. HR is not just about payroll; it enhances the value and increases your organization and employees’ efficiency.
In November, I suggested going on a No Bad Diet for 2021. Have you started early? There is no time like the present.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
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“Your employees are the heart of your organization.” Dr. Michele Harmon is a Human Resource professional, supporting clients in Texas and New Mexico that range in size from five to more than 3,000 employees. Email: micheleharmon1@gmail.com