I chose to share you post with my readers in my weekly Rainmaker ‘Fab Five’ blog picks of the past week as found here: http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2008/10/the-rainmaker-f.html

Be well Lance and keep the good stuff coming!

-Chris Young

@Chris – I see where you are going but I have to disagree. Willumstad’s job is the same as almost every employee’s: add value to the organization. I think that’s the core of it.

HR is critical to organizations where HR people have positioned themselves properly. That’s true. I think if it were more common, it would be more reinforcing good behaviors versus *Breaking News*! I don’t think HR should ever shun itself from self-criticism though. Do you think this post breaks people’s spirits? I felt like it was aimed at HR focusing on exceeding the goals set forth, not simply reaching them.

1. I do think Willumstad “did his job” by refusing a severance package. His job was to lead the company. His goal was to create value for his shareholders. There’s a fundamental difference between what your job is, and what the goals of that job are. He was entitled to a package for being ousted from him job. Turning it down was the right thing to do, but it wasn’t his job to do so.

2. A key component of motivation is reinforcing your own concepts of what you’re good at. That can come internally through successes or externally from praise. HR certainly doesn’t get much praise from outside ourselves, so we turn to each other. And reinforcing good behaviors is NEVER a bad thing.

I certainly get that there are plenty of low-quality HR professionals out there, but for companies that do it right, HR is a CRITICAL differentiator in employee performance.

- Chris

Also, some aspects of your job might require courage. A soldier’s job requires courage and so does standing up to a boss who doesn’t want you to do your job properly.