10 Jan 2015, Singapore: "Happy Belated New Year"! I received another short article from Mr. Alan Collins ... to keep the article short, I just share the essential information but it make a lot of sense.
1. Look for role models in or outside of your workplace.
Case study on Mr. A. He is currently director of Leadership Development at a University and a former HR executive. His passion is classic rock ‘n roll music, especially tunes by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and The Rolling Stones.
He incorporates rock music into all of the presentations he makes to students and his corporate clients. He uses rock lyrics and quotes to get across key ideas when coaching corporate executives. He’s also working on his first book addressing new rules for career management based on…you guessed it…rock music.
All this makes Mr. A distinctive, interesting, in-demand and keeps him pumped up about his day job.
In your case: Are there projects, presentations, programs, co-workers, clients, situations, products, and critical business needs that might be waiting to incorporate those things you’re truly passionate about doing AWAY from work?
2. Connect with like-minded groups within your organization.
Next, find other people at your workplace who share a similar interests. Ask others: “What do you like to do for fun? How do you spend your time away from work?” If the company is of any size and your interests are anywhere near the mainstream, you’ll likely discover others who share your passions.
In your case, you can start with people in your company’s Employee Activities Committee (or Sport & Recreation Committee). Most organizations have volunteer groups like these whose job it is to provide fun activities which engage the workforce. Participating could have offered you opportunities to:
- Help plan employees get together;
- Coordinate the company functions or employment engagement event (e.g., Christmas party)
- Sponsor charity fund raisers or volunteer works
3. Above all, don’t walk around being a grouch — at least brainstorm possibilities.
A typical case: Ms. X hobby is into gardening and she is an expert in employee benefits. At work she wasted many years making herself and those around her miserable. She walked around bitter and angry at the world, which prevented her internal customers and colleagues from wanting to work with her.
Instead of griping like Ms. X, try drawing two circles and listing the core aspects of your organization in one circle and the core aspects of your passion in the other. Then brainstorm ideas for how you could bring your interests and passions to work or how you could connect them to your current company’s business. Finally, see if there are places where the two circles intersect.
In Ms. X case, her brainstormed list of possibilities could have included:
- Leading an in-house task force to improve the landscaping around our office building
- Consulting with our factory locations on the landscaping and design of their facilities
- Working with the building staff on plants in offices.
- Identifying ways to spruce up outdoor corporate meetings and conferences
I don’t know if any of these would have interested her. But they certainly wouldn’t have hurt. And I’m sure she could have identified fifty other possibilities like these that could have generated more excitement for her at work.
Worst case scenario: If you’re burnt out on the HR work you’re doing, look for another job rather than fuming.
To wrap up this sharing …
"Bringing your personal passions, your interests and your full authentic self to work and connecting with others who share them is just ONE WAY…but a terrific way… to infuse more excitement into your day job in HR."
"And when you’re truly energized, engaged and fulfilled on the job, there is no end to where you can take your HR career."
Think about it.
---The End---
