You never really grow until you figure out what it is that you need to know. And that means admitting that you don’t know something in the first place.
Being in HR and hanging around with a lot of Communications types, we’ve all encountered the same resistance unaffectionately dubbed the “Anyone can do this…” syndrome. After all, you’re human so you must know all about human resources, right? And, you communicate…so how hard is it to figure out what to say to whom and when?
Were it only so simple.
You won’t find this syndrome in the left brain disciplines. If you come across a money issue, you need an actual trained finance person to figure it out, or at the very least, confirm that the way you handled it was correct. And IT, well that’s such a complicated field, for sure you’ll definitely need someone who’s trained in the subject (or under the age of 35).
So why is it that organizational leaders are so cocky about their ability to handle HR and Communications on their own? I’ve seen my share of senior managers attempt to resolve some fairly serious employee issues and end up spending a small fortune to make the problem go away (literally and figuratively). I’ve sat on boards where community outrage, a.k.a. Nimbyism, against a project development, was further fueled by a non-existent or ineffective public relations campaign.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that organizations need to have fulltime HR or Communications resources in-house. They probably don’t need IT or Finance, either. They do, however, need to understand the ins and outs of their organizations; where the opportunities are and what risks are lurking in dark corners poised to attack. That’s a little dramatic, I admit, but having a good sense of how things are going in all aspects of the business is the best defense against that time when a sudden, unexpected bogeyman shows up at the doorstep. And, organizations do need, at the very least, to have access to expertise in any and all of these areas when they need it.
Most senior managers deserve to be in the position they’re in. They earned it through learning the business, working hard, honing strategic relationships and taking advantage of opportunities when they came up. This doesn’t mean they know EVERYTHING; nor should they be expected to.
In my experience, the best leaders are the ones who understand their limitations and are willing to admit it. These are the folks who are keeping their eyes on the day-to-day (or trusting their direct reports to do that for them) without getting into the weeds. They have a nose for trouble and are able to anticipate it before it strikes. They take steps to make sure there is a viable Plan B if Plan A shows signs of failing.
It takes a little bit of humility and a lot of introspection, assessment, and planning to position an organization for success and ensure that it continues to operate successfully.
So back to my point. Do you need an HR, IT, Finance and/or Communications guru in-house? Probably not. In most cases, your administration budget is too small to afford it. Are there things you can do to secure this expertise when you need it? Of course there are. Aside from the full-time, in-house option, you’ve got your temporary, part-time employee, your term-certain contractor; your consultant on retainer arrangement (Legal’s a good example of this), or your industry resource (an Employer association perhaps?). Or, you could adopt the DIY approach (that’s Do-It-Yourself) and invest valuable time and effort to take care of the matter yourself. And in some cases, this latter approach makes good sense.
The thing is how do you know what you need when you need it and how will you find it when you decide you do? At the Wisdom Group, we have developed a tool that can help you decide which direction to take. It’s a handy little Comparison Chart that prompts you to input the factors that influence your decision. So, for example, if this is a one-time, single-issue matter, you may be able to resolve it yourself with the help of outside counsel. If it’s more of a systemic concern that potentially has a bigger, longer-term impact on the organization, you’re likely looking at external expertise for a specific period of time. Whichever way you go, it all starts with knowing what’s going on, being able to anticipate risk and understand and admit what you don’t know.
Stay tuned for more on this score. And if you’re interested in our tools, templates or other resources, sign on to The Wisdom Group‘s bi-weekly emails. They’re totally free.
Marsha Goldford MPA CPHR is an HR professional, certified trainer and Wiley Everything DiSC Workplace facilitator. She has held senior level positions in Non-profit organizations for over 20 years and provides independent consulting to help senior managers meet a range of human resources, compensation, board governance and employee training needs. Marsha is the founder of The Wisdom Group, a consortium of professionals with years of experience in various disciplines in Non-profit administration. The group offers no-cost and low-cost solutions to Non-profit organizations in BC and beyond.
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