Human Interaction

Leave it to an "HR guy" to write his first blog on "human interaction" in the workplace. I know, I know, the proverbial "soft HR topic". Some observations:

1. There is…some dysfunction in the place where I work.
2. Much of the dysfunction stems from the following things:

• Lack of time?...let's say lack of taking the time to fully understand what others face.
• Lack of ability to confront the issues honestly, without defensiveness.
• Lack of accountability.
• Lack of human level interaction.

Time we'll address at another "time". Honesty, I'm not quite ready to tackle that one on my first post either. Accountability could be a treatise so let’s hold on that one as well.

Let's focus on human level interaction. Our employees work in different "quadrants" of the building, and for the most part, have little interaction with other departments aside from a monthly meeting, and the occasional other drive-by, or meeting encounter. This monthly meeting takes the form of managers providing as little information as possible so they "don't have to spend time with these people". Meanwhile, the employees complain about never receiving any pertinent information. Then, assumptions appear, assumptions about others; their motives, what resources they get versus what we get, who is really the most important department, are we a software company or a customer service company. It is all very comical, yet sad. I try not to get personally embroiled in this mess, but occasionally I do get singed by standing too close to the fire. I have many occasions that I get to speak with employees about the situation...and that I welcome even though I often feel like I am a great sounding board, but often cannot make the influence I would like (more on that later).

Socrates points out that one has to talk to people in terms of their own experience, that is, using carpenters metaphors when speaking to a carpenter, or accounting with an accountant. Recently, I had the chance to spend some quality work time with one of the software developers. Like many developers, he is bright, ambitious, and "gets it" when it comes to business. I appreciated the insights he gave me into some of the challenges he and his team face with the development process, and some of the cultural issues they face. I appreciated his candor. We discussed a number of issues that pertain to our business. We both want our company to be successful. We both have many ideas, not always conforming to the cultural norms of the company. Most of all, we're both just people who want to be able to suggest and implement good ideas, better understand how our co-workers function, think, and to better be able to leverage the business in positive ways. Sometimes you can learn much more from a casual conversation by listening and asking questions than you can from the plethora of meetings we face each day. I hope to be able to expand on my experience with others in a casual, real setting. That's where the good stuff in business really is...and the good ideas also, the ideas that sometimes turn into the “next big thing”.

Well, that’s my first post ever…I enjoyed this self-therapy.