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It’s all about me me me. Here is a true story.
We fail to think about what’s best for the business or the employees—it’s always ‘me, me, me’ at every level of the organization. This self-centered mindset is precisely why workplaces struggle and, ultimately, fail.
You might argue otherwise, claiming that leaders and managers work tirelessly, chasing KPIs and striving to meet goals. Make no mistake—they do it for their own benefit, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. They do it to stay employed, advance their careers, or earn substantial money. At its core, everything people do is driven by self-interest, and it is not different in HR.
I run numerous workshops for leaders and HR professionals focusing on fixing organizations rather than blaming employees. One exercise in employee experience design involves mapping key touchpoints in the employee lifecycle to uncover friction points between employees and the organization (across People, Processes, and Systems) and resolving them to boost productivity and satisfaction. This exercise challenges participants to think on behalf of the organization and its people—and they fail every single time.
Last year, I ran a workshop for 130 HR professionals. I’m an organizational psychologist with a background in HR and Talent Management, specializing in employee experience design. I fix broken organizations where productivity and employee motivation are low, and turnover is high—so dealing with HR is right up my alley.
I gave them the task that I do for a living and asked them to think from the perspective of both their employees and the organization. What goals is the organization trying to achieve, and how does their work contribute to those goals? Then, I challenged them to analyze employee experiences—how might these experiences be unintentionally sabotaging the company’s efforts, and what solutions could address this? I also asked them to reflect on employee feedback and their own observations about these experiences—what’s working and what isn’t—so they can make changes that create an environment that drives business success.
I expected questions like, how do we know:
· that we attract the right talent?
· that we hire the right people?
· that our onboarding prepares people to do their job?
· what motivates our people and if they are motivated?
· that our performance management system works?
· that the organisation has the right environment and talent to achieve its business goals?
· which part of the employee life cycle is responsible for our turnover?
I expected touchpoints like:
· Glassdoor reviews
· Application process drop rate
· Candidate experience during the hiring process
· Pre-arrival experience
· Manager quality during onboarding
· Efficiency and effectiveness of the first 30 days training program
· Experience with annual appraisal
Etc.
You can identify hundreds of touchpoints in the employee lifecycle and pinpoint which ones aren’t working—for the company, the employees, or both—and explain why. This is the job of every manager, leader, and HR professional.
Instead, what I got is everything that doesn’t work for them- HR!
· Managers don't complete the annual appraisal process on time, so we (HR) can't submit our reports.
· We (HR) want to work remotely so we don't have to sit in traffic.
· We (HR) want car parking.
· We (HR) need better systems because we're overwhelmed with the workload. Fair point, but it's still about them.
· We (HR) wanted digital induction, but the manager prefers face-to-face. My response: Companies shouldn't operate based on personal preferences but on what works for both the business and the employees. Watch the video related to that.
Out of around 50 points raised, every single one focused on HR's convenience and what they needed to make their own lives easier. None of them were about what truly benefits the business or its employees.
We haven’t taught anyone how to think strategically—that is, thinking holistically for the organization, including People, Systems, and Processes. Instead, we rely on buzzwords like strategic plans and alignments. But when leaders and managers are put to the test, they fail. It’s always about them. Are we really surprised that the workforce is disengaged, organisations are broken beyond repair, and the number of corporate refugees continues to rise? Nobody cares about anyone or anything apart from themselves.
Here’s the kicker: when you speak to managers and leaders privately, they’ll all tell you that nobody cares about anything, so you should just do what’s best for yourself. Well, how’s that working out for everyone? Because all I see is that everyone—managers and leaders included—are struggling. Our job is to fix organizations, and that fix must be driven by two key elements: what the organization is trying to achieve and what kind of environment we need to create for employees to drive that goal forward. For that to happen, we need to ask both the business and the employees what they want and need, and then do what’s necessary—even if we disagree with it or our personal preferences differ.
Remember, it’s not about what I, as a manager, leader, or HR professional, want or prefer. It’s about what works for the business and the employees. Everything else is irrelevant. Make this as one of your company values and maybe you can tackle the issues around egos too.
What I do?
I win HR awards for my clients - Most Innovative HR Solution & Best Talent Management Initiative.
Our standards provide HR with an easy-to-follow roadmap, removing uncertainty and delivering measurable results. This structured cycle ensures that organizations remain proactive, agile, and committed to delivering a world-class employee experience.
Contact me and let’s transform your HR. HR doesn't have to be difficult but you must fire fighting and be strategic.
Podcast
Resilient Leadership - Too Many Safe Spaces and Very Little Resilience
YouTube
That's Not What Men & Women Wanted - Feminism Gone Wrong
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