Expand How You Think and Lead
Progress depends on the ability to challenge assumptions and connect ideas in new ways.
Recognize that Companies ‘Get the HR They Deserve’
“Early in my HR career, one of my HR leaders told me that ‘Every organization gets the HR they deserve.’
“That can come across as a negative connotation, but when your CEO — or your governor in my case — gives you the long leash to stand up performance management or introduce pay for performance, you know that they’re getting the HR that they deserve. And I’ve found that to be true on most of the HR roles I’ve had.”
John Barrand, CHRO, State of Utah
Find Success in Shades of Gray
“Approach any business issue from a human perspective first, and recognize that rarely is there an answer in the problems you must solve that is definitively wrong or definitively right. Instead, you must manage on a constant continuum of least optimal to most optimal, and you should try to stay to the right of the midline as much as possible.”
Veronica Knuth, Chief People Officer, Quantum Health
Find the Right People, Not Just the Right Answers
“You might not have all the answers, but you should know who might. This advice underscores why I place such high value on networking, building connections, and learning from others.”
Ana Pinzón, Senior HR Partner at Bosch
Become a ‘Dot Connector’ Across Teams
“I had a conversation with the boss at my job out of college that I’ll always remember. What she said distilled down to ‘Be curious and learn how to connect the dots.’ In my job, I would be meeting with people from different departments who all had various agendas and points of view. But I could be the person who threaded the needle to anticipate people's problems before they arise. To make experiences more meaningful because I figured out how they matter to a group of people who may not have figured it out for themselves. That’s still what I do today.”
Nikki Rappaport, Chief People Officer, Call Your Mother Deli
Focus on What You Can Control
“Control what you can control. You can't control everything, so you have to relinquish what you can't control, accept reality, and work towards the most positive possible outcome that you can.”
Maureen Cawley, Chief People Officer, Saatva
Embrace Differences and Lead with Empathy
“The most profound advice I’ve received is that everyone has their own story and is on their own journey. … And understanding that helps you lead to a world of acceptance.”
Fasika Melaku, SVP of HR, Denny’s
Honor the Weight of Your Words
“The one piece of advice that has always stuck with me is that words have meaning. So, what we say really means something to the person receiving it or the audience or the greater good.”
Liz Cotner, Director of HR, Foster Swift Collins and Smith PC
Use Conflict as a Window into Yourself
“Every single person we come into contact with that causes us have an emotional reaction, or to be upset by, or triggered by, recognize that the person is really just an avatar helping you to learn a lesson that you need to learn.
“So, if you are confronted with somebody that's very angry, rather than blaming them, judging them or staying in a state of victim, … think to yourself, ‘What is a gift that this person is giving me?’ This avatar idea says that they are here to teach me something about myself. Also, remember that their behavior is about them. I'm responsible for my response.”
Susan Schmitt Winchester, former CHRO, Applied Materials
Recognize Internal Relationships as Business Drivers
“Early in my career, I was going for a promotion and didn't get it. I was very upset. My manager sat me down and said, ‘Do you want the truth or do you want to hear something to make you feel better?’ I told him I wanted the truth. He said to me, ‘Your internal employees and colleagues are your customers too. So those interactions you have every day with them — being friendly, sparing them a smile — all matter just as much as the external customers for the organization, because those internal employees are your customers too. That has carried with me every day.”
Lauren Fast, Chief People Officer, iS Clinical
‘Know When to Drop Your Tools’
“We come into our work with experience and expertise. But sometimes the environment throws us a curveball and we hold onto that expertise more than we should. So sometimes you need to know when to drop your tools and know when to shift and look at different possibilities. Anyone working in HR has to be adaptable — you have to be ready to shift.”
Darnell Lee, CHRO, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. House of Representatives
Membership
Lead What’s Next
Anticipate what’s changing before it reaches your organization. SHRM Membership gives you the workforce intelligence, expert guidance, and data to act with confidence, reduce risk, and become the HR leader others trust when the answer matters most.
Enterprise Membership
Prepare Your Organization
Equip your HR team to see workforce change earlier and respond together. SHRM Enterprise Membership provides decision-ready intelligence and expert guidanceso your team can reduce workforce risk, strengthen decision quality, and build capability for what comes next.