Steve Browne, SHRM-SCP, is chief people officer for LaRosa’s Inc., a restaurant chain in Ohio and Indiana with 11 locations. The author of HR Rising!! (SHRM, 2020) and HR on Purpose!! (SHRM, 2017), he has been an HR professional for more than 30 years.
I spent the last week at the SHRM Volunteer Leader Summit in Washington, DC. It is one of my favorite events because the attendees are some of the most active and engaged members that SHRM has. It’s also very cool in that people come from all fifty states and also US territories.
When I look at the vast field of HR, I have to say that I am swayed to the power of Culture more than other facets. I truly believe that people decide to either stay at a company or leave it because of its culture.
We’re getting closer and closer to another election season. Even though this is a “light” year for elections locally, that doesn’t stop the candidates who are running for office from filling the airwaves with commercials. And, true to form, there are few candidates who say what they’re going to do. Instead, they spend millions of dollars to smear their opponent. People must feel it works because it gets worse the closer you are to the actual election day.
There are countless numbers of blogs and articles regarding culture. I’m absolutely in that mix because I feel that culture is the most critical factor of today’s workplace. The challenge I see though is that people continue to offer models of what will absolutely work for you. I think this is an incredible presumption !! I can’t come close to understanding what your company culture is or isn’t.
There are a few assumptions I can make that will be accurate:
I am a dad. It has to be the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever had, or will ever have. My kids are on the verge of being adults now so they are doing more and more on their own. What I’m finding is how easy it is to take a small amount of information and blow it out of proportion if you are missing context. I’m seeing this both from them spreading their wings and having to make bigger life decisions as well as my wife and I letting them fly more. We don’t always have context around what their decisions are, and it’s hard not to want to step in and “fix” things.
Before you think this is a post about Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, it really takes a different twist (even though I’m a devout Python fan !!)
Sitting in an airport terminal gives you a chance to jot down your thoughts if you build in a bit of time. I’m trying to contain my excitement as I get ready to board my flight to SHRM14in Orlando !! The actual conference doesn’t kick-off until Sunday, but I’m fortunate to head down early as a SHRM volunteer and member of the Membership
Human Resources is often written about in vast layers and fantastic catch phrases !! When I see posts about “harnessing the synergy of human capital” I start to twitch. One of the shortcomings of what we do is that we try to make it harder than it needs to be. I think that HR has fallen into the trap that if we sound like we’re more intricate, then people will give us more credibility.
In a few weeks, I will be heading to Orlando, Florida for the SHRM Annual Conference. To say that I’m Geeked would be an undersatement !! It’s a chance to break away from the daily norms and be with 14,000+ of my HR peers. Some may find that overwhelming while I see it as welcoming.
The conversation usually starts out like this . . .
“You’ll never believe what just happened!! I have an employee who . . .”
My post title is missing its normal, and grammatically incorrect, double exclamation points ( !! ) for a reason this week. I had the most amazing experience and just had to share it with you !! (oops, there they are)
This week is truly a week I eagerly anticipate every year! That is because I know when September rolls around, so does the annual Ohio State HR Conference ! I get excited because it’s a chance to break away from the day-to-day and be with my peers. I know this sounds HR Nerdish but I’m unapologetic about it.
Recently, LaRosa's, opened a new location called Eastgate. I’m fortunate to be the Executive Director of HR for this iconic Cincinnati company, and we had a pivotal role in this store opening. HR interviewed every new potential Team Member because we were looking to add 70+ folks to this much larger pizzeria!
