A few years ago in a speech he was giving, our founder thanked each of his leaders for whatever superpower they brought to the agency. When he got to me, he said I brought love into the agency. His comments resonated with me because I honestly had never thought of my contributions in that way.
My team did a lot over the years. (Aaron, ASE, and Xavier will probably tell you I did too much because I spent a lot of time at work and not enough time at home.)
Over the years, we hired a diverse staff and created an inclusive environment. We focused on people's growth and development. We built a culture of effective and compassionate leaders. We worked hard, and I mean hard. But we also played hard and often, some of which involved ping pong tables, basketball hoops, and trips to the beach. We ate real food, everyday, like eggs, fresh fruit, and fresh fruit, and veggies. And we never settled, never claimed to be finished, kept learning from our people and evolving our culture and strategies.
Our founder summarized all of that with one word: Love. That was just one of many lessons he taught me. It will not be the strategies you develop or the programs you implement that people will remember. They will remember how you made them feel throughout their journey with you. And that memory will have a lasting impact on them.
My advice for HR professionals: Whatever your people strategy is (regardless of whether you have the space for a ping pong table or the time to go to the beach), be sure it is done with love. Love your people. Love what you do. Love what you bring to the table. Love the impact you have on people's lives. And love treating people with respect, kindness, and compassion.
The core of any good people strategy is summarized with one word: Love.
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