{Random Encounters} On the Road to Alignment and Purpose
We all have random encounters and some impact us more than others. Inspired by Kristin Kaufman’s book, Is This Seat Taken?, Women of HR share encounters that impacted them.
We all have random encounters and some impact us more than others. Inspired by Kristin Kaufman’s book, Is This Seat Taken?, Women of HR share encounters that impacted them.
We are unwrapping some posts from the Women of HR archives for you this holiday season. Relax, enjoy and let us know if there is a favorite of yours you’d like to see unwrapped and run again.
I have been reading a lot over the last few years about communication and have been fascinated by what the books share as differences between men and women in this area. I have begun to make adjustments and pay closer attention to my habits, like not raising my hand to speak, watching my posture and what I am doing with my hands and my stance.
Yesterday, I slammed the table and stunned the room. It was fascinating.
Women, whether we are employed or in the application process, our personal lives tend to matter more than the personal lives of male employees. And, since our online reputation is often an extension (or at least a reflection) of our personal lives, we need to be far more cautious about it than the average man.
So my advice for workers: manage your reputation carefully. Don’t let your Facebook profile be viewed by non-friends and err on the side of disclosing less information online, not more. Conduct a Google search of yourself and try to assess the data out there when applying for any job.
There are very few managers or HR professionals who haven’t participated in a dress code conversation.
Sadly, in many organizations, when faced with conundrums such as: “How do I tell Sally she needs to wear a bra?” (answer: “Hey Sally, you need to wear a bra.”) or “What are we going to do so that Bob irons his shirts? (answer: “Hey Bob, iron your shirts.”), the easy lazy answer has always been “Let’s write a dress code policy!”
As a gay man, I am often confused by the notion of striving for equal rights. It is not the equal part that is confusing. It is the striving.
On one hand, there is a need to identify with a cultural brand, e.g. gay. On the other hand, there is a quest for rights that everyone else has. With that, is also a quest for opportunities, and the subsequent success and power that others possess. Each of us decides our own definition of success and power. Take charge of yourself, create your own definitions of success and power, and be the captain of your own ship.
I’m beginning to get a little nervous for my husband’s generation of men. It is scary to think that his generation is the last of those men who were brought up to behave in a chivalrous manner. I like chivalry. It is polite and helpful.
Could it be that HR doesn’t have a seat at the table because women intimidate men?
I find it fascinating to read about different religions and belief systems and wonder if everyone would perhaps, view things just a tad differently had Eve arrived on the scene before Adam.
Women of HR. Really? When did we get to a point in our society when the majority thought it was a good idea to start a specialty group and brand themselves as a minority?