Culture – True Stories at Work: fresh from HR

Ahoy HR! Take a Journey into Human Resources on a Cruise Ship: Lauren

By fresh from HR | 2024-02-27

Subscribe or Follow Subscribe to True Stories at Work

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live with your coworkers on the ocean for 8-months each year? In this True Stories at Work episode you get to meet Lauren. Who wanted to be a pirate, astronaut and is now an HR leader on a cruise ship.

Michelle Aronson hosts Lauren, who aspired to be an astronaut, however ended up in HR after a health issue crashed her aerospace engineering dreams. Lauren talks about her practices in addressing HR issues and the unique challenges she faces living and working on a cruise ship, including dealing with staff from 30-40 different nationalities, overseeing personal issues that become HR matters, and handling romantic relationships on board. HR is personal, as Lauren recounts a heart-wrenching incident of an immigration scam involving one of her potential hires. The episode wraps up as Lauren shares how she changed her approach to HR after laying off an entire hotel staff at the beginning of the pandemic… and how she makes HR personal and connected to improve her workplace.

00:00 Introduction

02:09 Lauren’s Story

07:19 True Stories at Work

36:25 Workplace Confession

40:05 Haiku for Lauren

Resources

Curious about cross-culture challenges + how to connect more deeply with colleagues at work, here are some links to get started:

How Cultural Differences Can Impact Global Teams

Forming Stronger Bonds with People at Work

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

Tell a story!

Make a Workplace Confession

Host: Michelle Aronson

Editor: Bella Hutchins

Haiku for Lauren

Lauren is not a pirate.

But achieves her HR dreams…

as she sees (seas(;)) the world.

From HR Challenges to AI Opportunities: Karen

By fresh from HR | 2024-02-05

Podcast: Play in new window | Embed

Subscribe or Follow Subscribe to True Stories at Work

How does an HR professional build a connected, inclusive, and tech-forward culture? Find out in our latest podcast episode with Karen, who considers herself an accidental tourist in HR! #HRLeadership #InclusiveWorkplace #Podcast

In this episode, Karen shares her experience crafting a culture to support high-growth companies. She discusses the importance of creating an inclusive culture and how to align the executive team and care for the HR team. We discuss how to keep culture (and humans) in focus as you implement technology for your HR practices. Karen shares that “employees want to know that tomorrow will be better than today and that they have a say in it.”

00:00 Introduction

01:55 Karen’s Story

05:45 Stories at Work

32:02 Workplace Confession

37:29 Haiku for Karen

Resources

Curious about culture and tech at work, here are some links to get started:

4 Ways AI Will Disrupt the HR Function in 2024 (shrm.org)

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace (shrm.org)

Talent Management in the Age of AI (hbr.org)

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

Let’s talk about your people strategy

Tell a story!

Make a Workplace Confession

Haiku for Karen

Karen understands…

Connection is essential

in work and in life.

Host: Michelle Aronson

Editor: Bella Hutchins

HR is Not Your Junk Drawer: Lauren Part 2

By fresh from HR | 2023-12-18

Podcast: Play in new window | Embed

Subscribe or Follow Subscribe to True Stories at Work

This True Stories at Work episode begins where my last podcast episode dropped off, with Lauren on the brink of her first leadership role and her first sexual harassment investigation (at the same time!).

Lauren shares a few of the ‘insane moments’ she has experienced during her career and how reveals how these experiences have shaped her into a better HR professional.

We discuss the many challenges that HR faces, the shifting expectations of employers, and how HR is often the junk drawer for everyone else’s people problems.

The episode wraps up with a workplace confession (and debate) from a former colleague of Michelle’s that increased his empathy toward Michelle and pets left in cars.

Timeline

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Lauren’s Journey to HR Leadership

02:31 Lauren’s First Sexual Harassment Investigation

03:33 The Aftermath of the Investigation

05:49 Lauren’s Reflections on Her HR Career

06:11 Lauren’s Most Insane HR Moment

15:43 Lauren’s Workplace Pet Peeve

18:31 The Changing Landscape of HR in a Post-COVID World

22:41 Workplace Confession

29:44 Thanks for Listening

Resources

Curious about the topics discussed on the show, here are some links to learn more:</p>

Company Culture Is Everyone’s Responsibility (hbr.org)

3 Myths About Hiring People with Criminal Records (hbr.org)

Guns in the Workplace: What Has Changed, and What Can Employers Expect? (shrm.org)

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

Let’s talk about your culture and strategy

Tell a story!

Make a Workplace Confession

Ask a question+ make a suggestion

Rip off the Band-Aid and Have the Hard Conversation: Michael

By fresh from HR | 2023-08-23

Podcast: Play in new window | Embed

Subscribe or Follow Subscribe to True Stories at Work

HR leaders have difficult conversations, around an incredible range of topics “It would just be easier to say, we don’t want you around than to say, hey, I need you to wear a bra to work.”

Welcome to True Stories at Work, where we discuss the best things about working in Human Resources. The people, the stories, and the things that happen at work that we didn’t know even about… workplace confessions!

I’m a recovering HR executive, certified coach, and business school professor who knows that THE BEST stories happen at work, from heartbreaking to heartwarming, from hilarious to outrageous.

In a past role, I was a member of a magical HR executive committee, pulled together by a Group Purchasing Organization to represent a variety of members from each region of the country.… and I loved going to the meetings to connect with them, learn what they were doing, and hear their great stories! Today, you get to meet Michael, who was a member of that executive committee.

You will get to hear his journey into and out of HR. As an attorney, he shares “The importance of ripping off the Band-Aid and having difficult conversations, even when they are uncomfortable” and even when they don’t go as planned. “It’s actually hard to do the things when you’re in the moment and experiencing it as a human as well”

He shares a story that demonstrates the impact that subtle, non-verbal behaviors can have on feelings and perceptions “even if I’m not saying it, or even if it’s not intentional, simply the, the chair I pick is sending a message.”

The approach he took to teaching people how to treat his HR team, and how he reinforced “that HR is not just a punching bag”.

Micheal shares a great practice to keep your leadership team connected to the people in your company who are impacted by your decisions “It’s easy to start thinking about people as simply numbers or FTEs as opposed to remembering that real people are losing their jobs, and those are having real impacts on their life.”

At the end, you get to hear a workplace confession, something that happened at work that never made it through the doors of HR. This one is about me… a director sharing a story about me that he wanted to confess on my behalf, how generous!

Curious about how to improve your skills with difficult conversations?

Here are some links to get started:

How to Handle Difficult Conversations Gracefully | Psychology Today

Things to Do Before a Difficult Conversation (HBR)

How to Create a Strong Culture (shrm.org)

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

Let’s talk about your people strategy

Tell a story!

Make a Workplace Confession

Haiku for Michael

Michael knows that growth,

Requires difficult words to…