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How Owning Your Role in HR Boosts the Business

Own It !!

I’ve always been a bit of a collector. I like seeing the variety of items one can collect. If I enjoy a certain rock musician, I’ll get their entire catalog of albums instead of just their hit songs. You can discover more about their style, approach and influences. Getting to know the musician’s work in this way is more fulfilling.

This approach of ownership is a method I’ve embraced as an HR professional. Throughout my career, I’ve seen and heard my peers apologize for being in human resources. For some, it becomes a point of embarrassment. This is foreign to me, as there is seemingly no other profession that apologizes for their work.

Mind Shift

Owning HR has many advantages; it positions you in a positive manner within your organization. If you are stuck in the shadows feeling effective only when called, then it’s time to turn that around!! It is essential to be confident in your abilities as a businessperson. That is especially true for those in the HR industry, as we are the one profession that interacts, touches and impacts every employee within a company. Have you stepped back and realized the reach you have as an HR pro?

I view the great employees I work with as valuable as the things I collect. Each person brings nuances, strengths, beliefs, values and skills that make a company better. As the HR leader, I get the opportunity to nurture, coach and shepherd these folks into performers, so they can thrive personally and collectively within their roles, departments and for the company as a whole.

Because of my confidence as an HR leader, I can ensure that each person is acknowledged, accounted for and included. They’re part of “my” collection, and new people are constantly added to the mix. When someone moves on from the group, I take comfort knowing they were cared for and valued during their time here.

In order to be successful and relevant in HR today, owning our role is the foundation. When we don’t, we cease to be needed. That would be a shame because when we own what we do and who we are, the organization grows and excels.

This week, take a step back and decide where you stand personally and professionally as an HR practitioner. If you don’t have ownership of your career, turn that around. You can own HR!! Trust me, you’ll enjoy your work and career more by intentionally taking the reins.

Blog Author: Steve Browne

With more than 30 years of HR experience, Steve Browne has held several leadership roles in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), most recently serving as the Membership Advisory Council representative for SHRM’s North Central Region. An accomplished national speaker, Browne has testified before Congress on behalf of SHRM and led advocacy efforts at the state and national levels. He is the author of the best-seller HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion.