Do One Thing in 2014

It’s January and all the posts about HR in 2014 are out. They discuss how we will change in 2014, what will be hot, what will fail and where we will be if we do not implement, adapt or conform to these new ideas. Some are the same ideas we have been discussing for years and others are truly revolutionary trends.  Many are great points and we must always look into the future of our industry and continue to progress and evolve.  Also, there are so many ideas and new technologies that these lists can be overwhelming; so much so, that we put all the pressure on ourselves, and our HR teams, to accomplish all of them. We spend so much time and money trying to keep up with the next big thing that we forget to take personal inventory of our own current capacity to try to better our own organization. In 2014, on top of the day-to-day aspects of your job, do one thing.

I have had some time to reflect on 2013, personally. This was a year of some great accomplishments for me. I branched out to try new things, wrote a few blog posts and had a few speaking engagements. This was very new and exciting for me. I took on some challenging projects and had some great successes. I made new connections and built on some already strong relationships. But I also had some setbacks. I lost a great friend and neglected some long time relationships. Admittedly, I got caught up in all of this and felt I could do it all. I accomplished a lot but also failed in some areas. I have learned a lot about those failures.

For HR, in 2013, we were bombarded with the next best thing. Social, mobile, Big Data and all things HR technology, were, still are, and will continue to be, the things we must continue to pursue.  And we can’t forget about the rise of the robots, but that’s another post.

As you are planning the rest of this year, assess your true capacity for major initiatives. What is realistic for your organization?  What can you handle without losing your credibility or sanity? Think about one thing that can really make an impact in your organization.  One thing -- and do it right. It may be an upgrade to your HRIS system, a new performance management process, video interviewing or just creating a better relationship with your client groups. Whatever it is, make it happen.

When you read that article about the “52 things HR Needs to be Doing Now or Else,” step back and truly evaluate your own work needs. There is a good chance 51 of those things have no relevance to the size or scope of your organization.