HR and why do we bother?: Time Management

 

We have spent most of adult lives working in HR and are now dedicated to helping the profession to deliver its true potential.  But sometimes we just have to say to ourselves; “why are we bothering?”.

Take time management.  We’d be very rich people if we had a pound/euro/dollar for every time a HR professional said to us “I wish I could do it but I don’t have enough time”.

I know you’re all smiling now.

But it’s true isn’t it?  HR folks are always busy and there is always more to do.  So what stops us from being more strategic or more proactive or [insert statement here]?  Is it a lack of confidence, of not wanting to let people down by stopping certain activities?

We know there are some things that we do that we wish we didn’t have to.  That’s why it’s called a job and we’re no different to anyone else.  We also know that there is no easy answer to this.

However, at CourageousHR we look at things a little differently (no surprise there).  We believe you have an obligation to your organisation to use your skills and knowledge to your greatest ability to help it deliver its goals.  Your organisation employs you and your colleagues deserve nothing but your best.

If a new activity adds more value than what you’re currently doing and the organisation agrees, you have an obligation to look at what you’re currently doing and find ways to create time for the new activity. 

You can do this by working harder (not often possible we know), stopping certain activities or handing activities to someone who doesn’t have the skills to do the more important role.  The point is, if the organisation agrees that the new activity is important, the only question is about how we do it. 

Next time, rather than saying “I don’t have enough time”, how about saying “how can I create the time to do this?”.

The great news is that you’ll also be valued more.