No matter what you do for a living or where you work, you are likely involved with a human resources division in your organization. These departments are centrally focused on the management of people – how they are hired (and fired) – how they are paid and how much – how they are provided with the tools to meet the requirements of their job descriptions.
Nowadays, many organizations are committed to supporting the training and wellness needs of employees. It’s like we are actually starting to get it – that healthy and happy people are capable of high quality service. Smart.
People Trump Paper and Process Every Time
Why do we spend so much time and energy caring for equipment, processes, policies and procedures than we do for human beings? We’ll spend countless hours cleaning our computers of viruses while we ignore the slow poisoning of our relationships?
We expect employees to grieve the loss of a loved one in 3 – 5 days and get their butts back to work at top performance. We say that we want employees to take risks, to be creative, to stretch themselves and contribute at their highest level, but when this happens, we buckle under the threat of change and take steps to put that person back in their place.
I think this happens because it is easier. It’s that simple.
In the field of helping professions, this takes on even greater importance. We are talking about people working with other people to provide services to people. It is one big pot of humanity. And humanity can be messy at times. Messy and unpredictable. And ultimately divine.
The Shared Human Experience
Many of the challenges that often lead people to access social services and health care can be the same kinds of challenges faced by those people providing the services. This is the truth.But we continue to go by the old adage that tells us that as helping professionals we need to compartmentalize these challenges – don’t bring this into the workplace – put it on the back burner. What if we took the time to sit with our challenges – to see the connection between what causes us despair and what breaks the hearts of those who come to us for help? How can we do this without losing sight of our role as a professional helper? How do we maintain integrity in the face of struggle? What can our organizations do to support the human experience of their employees?
Struggle and challenge aside. How much time do you spend cultivating your unique gifts – looking for opportunities for meaningful contribution? Do you have the opportunity to live from your source of inspiration – to serve from this source of inspiration?
Want to be an Organization that Celebrates Your Human Resources?
One of the most powerfu
things that human services organizations can do is to honour and uplift their human resources. Create opportunities for self-expression and personal fulfillment for employees. I am convinced that people who feel inspired and fulfilled in their work are people who live on the cutting edge of their creativity. Who wouldn’t want a workforce filled with those people?
The most valuable resource contained in health care and human services organizations are human.
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