It’s complicated! Relationships at work.

^^ What HR wishes they could say  to employees, managers and leaders 24/7. 

People are at the core of most of our work in HR. 

But people… are… difficult. 

Everyone is different from preferred working styles to default communication styles to how we handle stress, navigate power dynamics and understand emotions.

People can be messy…  They sabotage each other, they sabotage themselves, they love and they hate. 

And sometimes all of that within one work day! 

TBH: Navigating interpersonal dynamics can be the stuff of nightmares. 

But relationships are at the core of everything at work and HR has to be prepared to handle the impacts of all types of relationships at work. 

✨Submitted for the approval of the Hater Society: The Tales of Managing the Messiest Parts of Relationships at Work. 

Consider this quarter a crash course on all things relationships. 

No, I will not give dating advice as much as I think so folks would find it entertaining! 

I’m breaking relationships at work down into 3 pillars:

1. Communication 
2. Conflict resolution 
3. The role of leaders 

And I’ll explore how these aspects can make or break relationships and when and how HR needs to be involved. 

By the end of the quarter, you’ll have all the info you need to understand HR’s role in relationships at work and what to do when the people start PEOPLING. 

Because they always will.. 

#1: Communication: 

You’re sick of me talking about communication, I know. 

But guess what? 

Most of our problems at work and in relationships come back to communication. 

I almost wish there was how to communicate at work that was required but in the absence of that – you have me!!

I’ll tackle things like:

• HR’s role in storytelling 
• Building trust through communication 
• Communication styles 101 
• The most important things we have to communicate 

Maybe we’ll eliminate the ominous “can you talk” Slack… 

#2: Conflict:

I reference this The Office episode at least once a week. 

Conflict at work can be uncomfortable… most people don’t know what to do when the sh*t hits the fan. 

We all handle conflict differently! 

Me? I love it! We can analyze that another day… 

This quarter I’ll teach you everything I know so you can go from hating conflict → being more comfortable. 

I’m digging into:

• The root of conflict at work
• Analyzing conflicts – how to sniff out what’s real and what’s BS
• What if there is no conflict (there def is, I bet you)
• When real world conflicts seep into work (oh boy) 
• When your leaders are creating conflicts

The bottom line: HR leaders have to be comfortable with conflict!  

#3: The role of leaders 

Spoiler alert: Leaders have a lot of influence over relationships at work. 

The power dynamic absolutely influences relationships. 

And most people don’t really understand the power they wield and how to use it for good rather than evil! 

I’ll explore:

• Power in relationships 
• Inflection points for managers
• Leadership styles impacting relationships 
• What happens when leaders lack EQ 
• The CPO <> C-suite relationship 

By the end of the quarter you’ll be able to spot great leaders right away! 

Debunking relationships: 

The 411: relationships are complicated for lots of reasons and that can create challenges at work. 

Along the way I’ll debunk some myths and drop some truth bombs to help you sort through the mess that comes with ANY relationship. 

See something missing that you’re eager to hear my take on? 

You know what to do! Reply to this email. 

Love it or hate it, I’ll always listen to your feedback.