Everyone in an agile organization has a story
Agile careers have to be seen like compositions. Not simply journeys. This is how we create an evolution. About agile HR. Let’s start with the very beginning. About job interviews.
Dear HR, dare to unmask yourself. To find the very special
I remember some unexpected words a very experienced HR-colleague gave me several years before, when I casually asked him on a change management conference: “How are you?” He answered. Very honestly, not with the usually expected, “I am fine”, but instead announced,“I will quit my job as an HR Director. It’s the janus-faced role in HR, which I can’t and don’t want to take over any longer I think!” I could see the pain and the regret in his eyes, about a lost passion, a loss of identification.
He moved me deeply. His warning became an important influencer for my HR journey. But in the opposite of the quote’s intention.
Reflecting on why people decide for HR career, most of us will likely agree, that a very high percentage of the individuals choose these roles because they love to work with and for people. It’s a highly intrinsic motivation. This is my reason. Taking care of people professionally and to use my empathy as a strength has been a true passion since my first internship in the US nearly ten years ago. This quote created a spark. To raise it to a true contribution to organizational development. And to do everything to keep this inner amber. Protecting this passion from ending up as a sad leftover some day, buried deep down under the ashes of dissonance.
Agile careers are compositions
Every career in a company starts with a job interview. In an agile organization, a career is not simply a journey. It’s a composition. This is how Alan Watts inspires us to look at our whole lifes. Anybody can go on a journey. And reach, well: simply someday the end of this path. You can do so much more with your career in the right environment. An agile organization is a symfony. Therefore, agile HR is invited to start to dance to it. To support people and leaders in the flow of product and service, mindfully and with all their creativity and passion. This is how you find the right people, who want to contribute to this orchestra, composing their individual careers. There is no straight path in this symfony. Projects, challenges and responsibilities will change in an emergent manner. You have to play with your talents and challenges in close cooperation to very different people and professions around you. This becomes the melody of your career.
But how can one deduce these complex capabilities and talents, that are not fitting in one word or a short sentence to put a checkmark behind? But so truly are needed for building up the future of your company. We also know in HR, that success of past projects does not give you a clear prediction of the performance in the future.
So we should stop to search. And start to truly listen. Brené Brown’s article “Everyone has a story” helped me to formulate an attitude for agile HR people, which is by my side since years and might be helpful also for agile colleagues out there:
“Find the very special in every person you talk to. And don’t give up until you find it. No — don’t give up.”
Be present in interviews. Be true. With your full heart, mind and soul
The key is; to truly listen. In full presence and honest interest. And not to compare requirements and past fulfillments in flawless resumes. To have the courage to throw away your set of questions, the candidate is tired to hear and you are tired to hear the text book trained answers. To listen to your heart. To your intuition, that connects the dots in the stories you are invited to listen to. To have a valuable conversation. In a true deep connection. You can’t ask questions about a “fit regarding team spirit”. You just can experience the person in front of you in full presence. You will discover the ability to handle unknown challenges in the future, when you allow people to tell you, how they stood up again, after having failed, how they may have been on their knees because of loss, pain, or failures in their professional life. It influences what you are looking for in an agile organization: potential, capabilities and courage. Therefore, you have to dive deep. With your full heart, mind and soul. This is how you built up a true connect. The precious energy wire between you and your candidate.
And even if it might be the case, that the both of you come to the conclusion, that it’s the wrong timing, not the right challenge or your candidate is searching for something else. You will have found the very special in this person in front of you and a very clear answer, a valuable feedback you base your decision on. Truly experienced from a honest conversation. It turns the job interview situation into a mutual agreement about the next step at eye level. You will not have used or judged someone. You did it the right way. You will have learned something from each other, in the respectful attitude everyone deserves. In this way, you will never have to pretend something, to lead small talk. You are always true. People will sense that immediately. They will respect you as much as you appreciate them for being honest. This is the opposite from searching for the corpse in the resume’s cellar. It’s assuming the very best from each other. For sure, you will keep in touch, being curious, about what the future might bring. Sometimes you might be also able to connect your candidate with another company immediately. Or you candidate might recommend you someone, helping you to find the right one for your current challenge in your orchestra. It’s always right to share and and to give what you can contribute to career compositions and organizational symfonys. That’s what true passion is about: it’s unconditional. HR is about taking care of people, contributing to the big picture of your organization and it’s network. In a fast-moving environment. On global stage. It’s about bringing the right people together at the right time. To give first as HR.
Dear HR, dare to unmask yourself
Allow people to unmask themselves in your interview. But maybe that means, that you have to unmask yourself and provide them trust, that you will not use their true self with all their weak and strong sides against them. It truly means, that you have to put off your mask yourself. And be there as just who you are, not playing or pretending a role. That does not mean, to act or talk unprofessionally. But to be authentic, reminding yourself sometimes of your own story, and to share some of your experience in your company and your values already in this early stage. In my humble opinion, this gives both sides the highest chance, to have a valuable conversation, where both agree, if they should go on together and if they can contribute to each other to be successful. Together. It’s all about trust. Which can only built up truly, when we dare to take off our masks, being mindful and present, while listening to a very own story behind the pure career steps. Which might not only bring you on your knees, of admiration and respect. Allow people to surprise you. It will express gratefulness for the fact, that you and this amazing person right in front of you found each other. This is how you invite people to contribute to an agile symfony. And how you contribute to individual career compositions as agile HR. This is how you start to create an evolution. About agile HR.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Loreen for her creative support to unmask myself and my courageous proofreader to unravel every single word.