You Have All The Answers

I have a hypothesis that I’d like to share with you. It’s not a new idea and frankly not terribly inventive, yet in my opinion we must embrace this concept holistically for our industry to evolve. Here it is:

You have all the answers.

I told you this was simple.

The premise is that any issue human resources faces has been thoughtfully considered and solved by someone in our peer group. This is the foundation of what research organizations like the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) have been studying for years. In their model, CEB assembles hundreds of C-level executives in their member-based forums and surveys the population to prioritize topics of interest. They then interview select members to identify success stories than can be deconstructed and root-caused into teachable moments for all. It’s a brilliant business model that I would like to see us apply to our professional lives. And guess what? It’s already happening, albeit on a very small scale.

In my little network, I first seek advice and answers from those I trust and admire. After chatting with several of my peers, I generally find a theme or consensus that gives me the confidence that I am on the right track toward success. This is especially true if I’m speaking with someone in a similar situation who has already arrived at my intended destination.

And although my social media connections have allowed me to expand my reach and take online relationships offline, this is also about leveraging traditional networking via local associations, industry affiliations, etc.

As an industry, we’re generally terrible about sharing what works and why. We hide behind the fact that we’re either too busy or lack an ability to translate another’s success to the unique nuances of our organization.

News flash people – everyone is busy and organizations are more alike than you might imagine.

Since you’ll likely ask, here are three keys to successfully participating in this process:

1. Break The Bubble: You must actively seek others for this to effectively take hold. If you live in a corporate bubble you will miss the chance to learn from those around you. Often times the only cost is opportunity (or sometimes it costs $100).

2. Open Up: You must also be willing to field phone calls and meetings from your peers. Beyond relationship building, teaching is notoriously beneficial to your personal development and you never know where one helpful conversation will lead.

3. Write It Down: Take the time to document your experiences as they occur. This is critically important as it is extremely difficult to recall what worked (or as important, what didn’t work) well after the fact. Journal, blog, take notes and share.

Again, not a terribly inventive or earth shattering idea. But let’s face it, sometimes it’s the simple things that we tend to overlook.

Now it’s your time to share – do you think the answers live within the minds (and hearts) or our industry professionals? What other advice would you offer to those who want to more openly participate in problem solving? As usual, post your thoughts below and let’s keep the conversation going.