Your HR Career Wake Up Call !

Bring them into your HR day job to make your

life at work more enjoyable, exciting and fulfilling.

Understandably, some people would prefer to not to mix their personal interests and their work pursuits.

And frankly, some passions are entirely inappropriate to bring into the workplace. For example, if you’re into porn, serial dating or political or religious extremism, you’d be wise to keep your personal and work interests separated.

However, to spark up or energize your work life, you CAN incorporate conventional passions like: antiques, cooking, fitness, movies, golf, sports, biking, hiking, collectibles, animal care, crafts, social media and hundreds of others like these into your HR job

And, if you’re interested, here are a few tips for making it happen:

1.  Look for role models in or outside of your workplace.

One of the my role models in this area is Jeff Carroll.  Jeff is currently director of Leadership Development at Northern Illinois University and a former HR executive.

His passion is classic rock ‘n roll music, especially tunes by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and The Rolling Stones.

He incorporates rock music into all of the presentations he makes to students and his corporate clients.  He uses rock lyrics and quotes to get across key ideas when coaching corporate executives.  He’s also working on his first book addressing new rules for career management based on…you guessed it…rock music.

All this makes Jeff distinctive, interesting, in-demand and keeps him pumped up about his day job.

In your case:  Are there projects, presentations, programs, co-workers, clients, situations, products, and critical business needs that might be waiting to incorporate those things you’re truly passionate about doing AWAY from work?

2.  Connect with like-minded groups within your organization.

Next, find other people at your workplace who share a similar interests.  Ask others: “What do you like to do for fun? How do you spend your time away from work?” If the company is of any size and your interests are anywhere near the mainstream, you’ll likely discover others who share your passions.

In Sarah’s case, her conversations could have started with people in our company’s Employee Activities Committee.  Most organizations have volunteer groups like these whose job it is to provide fun activities which engage the workforce.  Participating could have offered Sarah opportunities to:

• Help plan a summer get together (being outdoors)
• Coordinate the company holiday party (floral design and decoration)
• Sponsor fund raisers (a plant sale)
• Or send floral arrangements to hospitalized employees (direct interaction with florists).

3.  Above all, don’t walk around being a grouch — at least, brainstorm the possibilities.

Despite being an expert in employee benefits, Sarah wasted many years making herself and those around her miserable.  She walked around bitter and angry at the world, which prevented clients and her colleagues from wanting to work with her.

Instead of griping like Sarah, try drawing two circles and listing the core aspects of your organization in one circle and the core aspects of your passion in the other. Then brainstorm ideas for how you could bring your interests and passions to work or how you could connect them to your current company’s business. Finally, see if there are places where the two circles intersect.

In Sarah’s case, her brainstormed list of possibilities could have included:

• Leading an in-house task force to improve the landscaping around our office building
• Consulting with our factory locations on the landscaping and design of their facilities
• Working with the building staff on plants in offices.
• Identifying ways to spruce up outdoor corporate meetings and conferences

I don’t know if any of these would have interested her.  But they certainly wouldn’t have hurt.  And I’m sure she could have identified fifty other possibilities like these that could have generated more excitement for her at work.

Worst case scenario:  If you’re burnt out on the HR work you’re doing, look for another job rather than fuming.

All that said, let me wrap up with this…

Bringing your personal passions, your interests and your full authentic self to work and connecting with others who share them is just ONE WAY…but a terrific way… to infuse more excitement into your day job in HR.

And when you’re truly energized, engaged and fulfilled on the job, there is no end to where you can take your HR career.

Think about it.

Onward!