WORK
Earlier this week, I had the honor to deliver a keynote at Afflink's Engage Conference in Glendale, AZ. I also got to spend some time with members in smaller workshop settings.
This group was incredible. (And if you are here from Afflink, welcome and thank you!) I've rarely experienced such curiosity, openness to learn, and willingness to reconsider previously held thoughts on people. It made my job so fun - and much easier!
If you weren't there, here's a quick summary of my keynote, delivered to independent distributors: Your workforce can operate at three levels—reactive (responding to requests), proactive (anticipating needs), or strategic (actively driving revenue, cost, or retention outcomes.) Changing from viewing people as an expense line item to a competitive advantage changes everything. While larger competitors centralize operations and treat people as interchangeable, independent distributors win by pushing decision-making to the frontline, building talent quality over headcount, and keeping people close enough to customers to build real relationships. The companies that survive aren't the ones spending less on people. They are getting dramatically more value from the people they have, turning consistency, proactivity, and deep customer knowledge into something competitors can't easily replicate.
I mentioned earlier I sit in two worlds. A lot of the work that I do in the HR world centers around future of work, AI and here now but not yet everywhere ideas. When I talk to fellow HR leaders at startups and tech companies, they are surprised what the landscape of HR and work looks like in the companies I work with.
There are a ton of Distribution and Manufacturing companies with forward-thinking CEOs and HR teams putting people first, and leading boldly through complexity and change. But the companies I work with are still on that journey. They want to know what good HR looks like, and need a bit of help getting there. They might be paper-based, they might not have many processes, but they have leaders who care enough to know that they need to change. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with starting from that level. As an advisor I meet people where they are at.
So let's talk about that, something I heard over and over in conversations this week. A variation of:
My HR team members are gatekeepers. Policy enforcers. They are the "department of no."
I get it. I was that person earlier in my career. So I deeply understand this. The team who responds to every business challenge with why something can't be done rather than how it could work. The ones who treat compliance like a weapon instead of a guardrail. Who've built a fence around their department and defend their processes like territory, even when those processes are actively hurting the business.
Does this sound familiar? "They act like they own the people strategy, but they've never spent a day in a warehouse. They don't understand our reality - and worse, they don't seem to care."
Sometimes, HR can forget: we exist to work with the business and our people, not control it or them.
Real HR partnership means understanding the business and getting to know the people. Recognizing the 4am shift change chaos. Knowing why that "simple" policy change would create a nightmare on the floor. Building solutions with leaders, not mandating them to leaders.
The best HR work happens when we remember we're not the main character. The business is. The people doing the actual work are. We're here to remove friction, solve problems, make it easier for great leaders to do great work, and help enable an incredible employee experience. As I always describe the HR leaders of today, we are coaches, consultants and guides. We are partners to the business. And we always put people first.
So How Do We Fix This?
If you're an HR leader and this hits a little too close to home:
I get it. Sometimes we become gatekeepers without even realizing it. The pressure to stay compliant, to protect the organization, to "get it right" can slowly shift us from partner to police. And sometimes we've never been shown what strategic partnership actually looks like. We're expected to be business partners without the education, tools, or support to know how.
That's not an excuse, but it is real. So what do we do?
Start by asking one simple question: When was the last time I said yes?
Not "yes, but..." or "yes, if you follow these seventeen steps." Just yes. Yes to trying something new. Yes to bending a process that doesn't serve the current reality. Yes to trusting a leader's judgment about their own team.
Then get curious about the business again. Spend time where the actual work happens. A shift in the warehouse. Riding along on deliveries. Sitting in on morning huddles. Joining a virtual meeting with another department. You'll hear things you'd never hear in a conference room. You'll understand why that "simple" policy creates chaos on the floor.
Find your people. Join community groups like Safe Space, Troop HR, Transform and more, seek out mentors who've figured out how to be true partners. Invest in learning the business side of HR, not just the compliance side. Ask for help.
Most importantly, change your default question. Instead of starting with "How do we stay compliant?" try "How do we make this work?" Compliance still matters. But it's not everything. Your real value is in finding the path forward.
If you're a business leader struggling with this:
You need to have the conversation. I know it's uncomfortable, but avoiding it isn't fair to you, your team, or your HR leader.
Be specific about what you need. Not a vaugue "HR is frustrating." Try something like: "I need an HR partner who understands our operation, brings solutions, and sees success as enabling our business goals. Can we talk about what that partnership looks like?"
But also ask yourself: Have I set my HR leader up for success? Are they included in company strategy conversations? Do they understand where the business is heading and why? Have I invested in their development? Been clear about what partnership means here?
Sometimes HR leaders want to be better partners but haven't been given the tools, support, or context to make it happen.
Give them the chance to step up. Most HR people got into this work because they genuinely care about people and organizations. Sometimes they just need to be reminded what good partnership actually looks like in your specific context. And given what they need to deliver it.
And if after real conversation, clear expectations, and genuine support things don't change? Then you may have a different decision to make or a much harder conversation to have.
The bottom line:
Great HR partnerships are built, not born. They require HR leaders who stay connected to business reality, business leaders who clearly define and support what partnership means, and honest conversation on both sides.
This is fixable. Start having the conversation now.
COMMUNITY
Going back to those two worlds I live in, I wanted to share a bit about where I'm going to be this spring! I consider myself a consultant who speaks (not a full-time speaker), so I take on only a limited number of speaking engagements. But I always enjoy them and I hope, always bring a new perspective to the attendees!
If you are an HR leader, you'll find me at Transform on March 23, speaking at a special pre-conference summit and co-hosting it as well, with my dear friend Alex Seiler. I also couple of things coming up in February: a webinar (with Alex, our friend Jessica Winder, and sponsored by SSR and HRCI), as well as a special session for Transform that Alex and I are co-hosting.
If you are a Distribution leader in the hose industry, I hope to see you at the NAHAD annual convention. I'll be doing the opening keynote on May 18. I'm also working on a few other potential association things, and may pop into the ASA Women in Industry event in Boston in April - I miss being a part of that council!
COFFEE
Last Thursday (that's hard to believe - it seems like longer ago!) my husband Dave and I were at the airport coming back from Hilton Head and talking about the upcoming snowstorm. I was scheduled to leave Monday since I needed to be there Tuesday, so I also booked a Sunday flight just in case. As the weather forecast changed rapidly, I grabbed a seat on a flight on Saturday. I decided to take that flight. Which was a good thing as the other two flights were cancelled! (Boston got a LOT of snow.)
Anyway, Saturday morning I got an incredible deal at a beautiful hotel in Phoenix for Saturday and Sunday nights, texted my friend Stacey who lived there, and I did a combination of reading, resting and hanging out for a bit with her during my short time in Phoenix. I missed being home (especially after traveling much of January), but I headed to Glendale Monday relaxed and rested.
And caffeinated! Pictured is my iced espresso (always more ice than espresso) from Cup & Cone at the Biltmore in Phoenix.
See you next week!
Until next time....... thanks for reading!
