HumanMarkets

My second inductee to my personal HR Hall of Fame is: Nan Russell.

Nan is now a successful writer, consultant, and facilitator. Most importantly, she is a successful human being. Nan was my first boss in HR and remains one of most important professional influences that I have ever had. Luckily for all of us, Nan has a great web site (www.nanrussell.com and blog I highly recommend all of her writing and materials to everyone in the working world and especially HR.

Here’s what I learned from Nan:

In HR you have to be better. You don’t have to be the best at everything, but the things that you do and other people in the organization do, you need to be better. Math, organization, writing, and ethical management. People only respect HR that is better – end of story.

Nan and I worked together at Macy’s Department stores in the 80′s. One day she comes in and says that she is leaving. I am shocked. Nan was the rock star of Macy’s HR – I could not imagine her leaving. She is going to work for… QVC. This is about 1986. My question is “what’s a QVC?” She explains, I process. I ask, like Home Shopping Network – selling coins and figurines and, and… junk?

Nan explains the value proposition and the business plan. I point out that we are the “Largest Store in the World!” Herald Square. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. July 4th Fireworks on the East River! Profit! Bricks and mortor for god sake! YOU CAN”T LEAVE!

She leaves. A few years later and some “near founder’s stock options” later, Nan lives with her computer genius husband Dan in a house, in Montana, on a mountain that they own. I guess I was wrong.

Lesson? Being better is better. Being better and early in is betterer.

4 Comments | In: HR Hall of Fame, Professional Development | | #

I have been in HR for almost 25 years. Over that time I have worked with and for a few greats. (Also some not-so-greats). One of the greatest, a woman in my Business and HR Hall of Fame is Katherine F. McKenzie. Last night I flew from my home in Philadelphia to Providence, RI to be part of a group honoring her upon the occassion of her retirement as head of HR for Citizens Financial Group. About 100 people clapped and applauded her almost 40 years of accomplishments, laughed at her unique and sometimes salty approach to business. There were jokes, songs and tears. Not too shabby.

In reflecting, I realized how rare it is that we really learn something about the profession from a boss. We may get their take on things, we may learn some techique – rarely though do we really learn something about the profession. I learned four things from Kathy. I think that I would have been happy with one – that’s about the average. Here are the four:

1. Being unreasonable is underrated. We always describe “reasonableness” as an unquestioned virtue. It is an obvious goal for most people to be as much and often reasonable as possible. Maybe that is not right. Kathy got a lot from me and others by sometimes being unabashedly unreasonable. It is a powerful thing to do. Which takes us to 2.

2. Learn to wield power. HR people don’t often know how to use power to achieve their goals. We like to work on collaboration, consciencous and convention. All good things. Sometimes however to be a “real executive” you need to know where your base of power is and you need to be willing to use it to achieve your ends. Think about a president who would not be willing to ever use power. It wouldn’t work. Sometimes you play in the market by openning up a can of whoop ass.

3. Look out for the little guy. There will always be sufficient motivation and opportunity to watch out for the big guys – and doing so is important. However, you must make your motivation and find your opportunity to watch out for the little guys. Usually it’s them who make the work of the organization happen – it is they who need stewardship. Kathy McKenzie was unrelenting in looking out for the voiceless and powerless in her companies. She changed the lives of thousands of families across the country because of her integrity, passion and smarts about how to help people. But becareful of 3 without 4.

4. Know the business better than the business people. If as an HR people you do not understand your business model, economics, metrics, and how you really make money you are useless. If you know all of that you are an HR superstar because what you say makes sense and it matters. In 25 years, I never once heard her talk about a seat at the table. Kathy McKenzie was the table.

3 Comments | In: HR Hall of Fame, How to do HR | tags: Hall of Fame, How to do HR. | #