One of my LinkedIn connections posted a request for input on some questions regarding how your faith carries into your work life. I prepared a response, and then thought it would be a good idea to post it here. . .
How does your faith inform your leadership and vice versa? how can we be values-based leaders in ways that enable our organizations to be agents for social justice and global issues? Does the model of Servant Leadership and Stewardship matter to you and, if so, in what ways? When ethical principles are at odds with pressures from various business stakeholders how do you manage and reconcile the differences? to what extent, if any, does the concept of the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, Profits, impact your leadership? It has been said, “What defines us is what we stand for in matters of conscience” what defines you in those circumstances.
My Christian faith informs all aspects of my life, and I like to think that I approach my work and leadership role with that in mind.
For me, the guiding principle in my work in HR is Matthew 7:12 – ‘So, in everything, do unto others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.’
In HR, there are many ways that I have used this principle to guide how I do my work. For example:
- When doing a termination, redundancy or layoff, I take the view, ‘how would I want to be treated in this situation?’ There have been times in the past, when I stood up to management that wanted to do these in an easy way, not adequately dealing with how the employee(s) would feel about the situation.
- My first experience with this was during a plant closing in Vermont. The company had contracted with an outplacement firm based in Massachusetts. In Vermont, there is a great dislike of ‘flat-landers,’ and I knew that it would be difficult to get employees to trust these strangers coming in and managing the process. While I had never done something like this before, I asked my HR boss if I could manage the process. I assured her that I would consult with the outplacement firm on it, but that I would be the one providing the ‘face to the customer.’ While this was an emotionally challenging process, I felt that it went extremely well, and my view of ‘what do I need’ drove some of the things I did – for example, inviting employees to bring their spouses with them to meetings about their severance pay and benefits, holding open office hours and providing interview and resume support to them and so on.
- Later, during an acquisition process, the buyer wanted my company to let go 50 (out of 100) IT/IS employees. The head of HR for the buyer told me that I should schedule two conference rooms – one for those staying, and one for those going. Then, I was to get up in front of 50 people, and tell them en-masse that they were losing their jobs. I was horrified at the idea. Thinking about how I would handle this kind of news in a very public setting made me react very strongly (and, also helped me to determine that this company wasn’t one I wanted to work for post-integration. . .). I effectively lobbied to have the buyer let me manage the exit process in my way – I would deliver the requirement (layoff 50 people), but I would manage the logistics. In the end, we set up a meeting with all 100 employees to tell them what was happening. Several managers and HR staff then met with each person individually to tell them their personal status – reassure those who were staying, and deal empathetically with those that were leaving.
- I used this same type of process for other layoffs, later in my career. During the training for managers who are doing layoffs, I remind them that I (as HR) am responsible for the leavers, and they are responsible for those who remain. The greatest compliment I ever received was from an employee who was staying in the business during this process, she told me how impressed she was with the level of empathy and support I exhibited to her colleagues who left the business. Mission accomplished.
- Based on my experience of receiving very little specific developmental training or support, I am aware of the need to support my team and ensure that they have the tools to effectively do their jobs. While I don’t always have the time I’d like to work closely with them, I try very hard to check in as much as possible to say, ‘what do you need from me?’ I remind my team that I am there to help them deal with barriers, clear problems or issues, or just lend an ear so they can vent their frustrations. Often, I find that HR professionals are the last to receive any training or support (the shoemaker’s children). When I’m able to make decisions (or spend money), I make sure that my team’s development is taken care of so that they can advance and develop. In this way, I am making up for the lack of training I received early in my career.
For me, my role is to demonstrate the beliefs and values of the organization that I represent. In most cases, I find that the stated beliefs and values are ‘motherhood and apple pie,’ but it’s how they are demonstrated in the business that can be at odds with the culture and environment you’re trying to create. It can be difficult when you have senior leaders that aren’t exhibiting the best behaviors, and it’s a fine line to walk when someone in a higher-level role behaves contrary to what I think is best for the business. While overt discrimination and harassment aren’t that common anymore, I have seen situations where it’s subtle and persistent. The manager that instructs my recruiter to screen out candidates over age 50, another who makes derogatory comments about the number of children an employee has, a recently divorced man telling me about his sexual exploits, a manager talking about ethically questionable activities (drinking too much, participating in wild parties at the expense of the company and so on). When these situations arise, I respond carefully so that I don’t alienate the person telling the story, but I communicate that these are not acceptable ways to behave. In order to ensure that I am aware of these situations, and can address them as needed, I have to balance my reaction.
Another area that I find hard to reconcile with my faith is the fact that I am routinely asked to judge people under the guise of evaluating their capabilities and competencies. When I am required to do this, I hear ‘judge not, lest ye be judged’ in my mind. I try very hard to be balanced and fair in my assessments – some people are just in the wrong jobs, or not ready for a promotion. However, I am still aware that sometimes I must provide my insights about a person that are based on my gut feel about them as an employee, and there is a fine line between providing an assessment and judging a person.
When it comes to ethical dilemmas, my faith influences my actions and informs my decisions around how to manage the gray areas. I don’t necessarily test everything with the adage ‘what would Jesus do?’ but there is an element of that in my thinking when I’m asked to do something that I don’t agree with from a belief and values perspective. I’ve had to manage exit processes that I don’t necessarily feel are proper, when a business head decides that he/she wants an individual out of the organization. In some of these situations, the reasons for the departure are not down to failure to perform or deliver results, but to a personality clash, challenge to authority or some other disagreement. I do my best, in these cases to manage the process in the best way that I can to protect the company from litigation (which is my responsibility as an HR person), but also to maintain the dignity of the employee involved. Sometimes, it can be a fine line between taking care of the individual, but not having the leader refocus their anger or hostility on me. I am not always successful in keeping the target off my back, but in the end, I can still look myself in the mirror and feel good about how I’ve behaved and what I’ve done. In the long term, acting in alignment with your beliefs and values is more important than any job.
I have been very fortunate to advance in my career and receive promotions along the way. However, as opportunities were provided to me, I didn’t always have specific experience in the tasks that I was being asked to do. When these situations arose, I would pray for guidance, and especially lean on the ‘Serenity Prayer’ as a regular meditation for me when facing a challenge that I felt unprepared for in my work. When someone once told me that giving credit to God for the things I achieved was being overly humble, I told him that I didn’t see it that way. As a part of my faith, I believe that God works through people, and in many situations over the years, I believe this has been the case for me.
