Episode 75: The #1 Thing You Must Do as a Human Resources Professional or HR Leader in 2021
Leaders: this episode is for you!
Today on the improve it! Podcast, you’ll hear from Career Coach, Podcast Host, and HR enthusiast, Ricklyn Woods, talk about the number one thing you must do as a leader in 2021. And don’t let the podcast title scare you, if you’re not in Human Resources, don’t worry. If you’re a leader, this episode is for you. Listen, share, and learn from Ricklyn as she shares more on...
The challenges HR leaders go through today
The steps on how to overcome these challenges
The number one thing you can do as an HR leader
What success looks like for a 2021 HR leader
We hope your notebook is ready and your coffee is hot – this show is packed with tangible leadership takeaways!
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Connect with Erin:
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!
Episode 75 Transcription:
Erin (00:00):
Improve it fam it's Erin here got to bust out another cheer. I'm coming to you live from the podcast closet. I don't know, but I need something to drink from the faucet. Oh, water is good for hydration. Come on out and meet me on the station that you are listening to this show. It could be iTunes. I don't know! What, just busted that out for you improve it! Fam. Sure did. Yep. I'm leaving the podcasting earwaves to go into my career as a musician and rapper. So this is my last show. Just kidding. Just kidding. We've got so many shows for you and I hope you're having a great day wherever you are. Thank you for tuning in to the improve it! Podcast. And I am in to give you some insight. I'm going to give you some insight right now, as you are in for a treat.
Erin (00:53):
I spoke with such an amazing guest today, Ricklyn woods, and she is a career coach, a resume writer, a certified HR consultant, an HR exam prep coach. And she has so much insight into the world of human resources. So I had to have her as today's guest, because today we are talking all about the number one thing you must do as a human resources professional or HR leader in 2021. And if you're starting the show, you're looking at the title and you're saying, oh my gosh, I'm not in human resources, but I am a leader. Stay tuned. This applies to you. If you are not in human resources at all and you are not a leader stay tuned because this applies to you. And also if you aren't in either of these things, you know, someone who is, and this show is going to give you so much appreciation for the people that you know, who are the heartbeat of our organizations, HR leaders.
Erin (01:53):
So enough about the show. Let's talk about Ricklyn real quick. This is how she is improving it. So Ricklyn is a certified human resources professional. She has a bachelor of science in psychology and a master of arts in industrial and organizational psychology with a concentration in coaching and consulting. So she also holds a certificate of personal development coaching from the cap Institute. Now in 2020, during the middle of a global pandemic, Ricklyn walked away from a six figure salary and a six minute commute, by the way, to pursue her passion, helping others reach their full potential. So now Ricklyn is a career coach. She's a podcast host, which we will talk about, an HR enthusiast, helping other HR professionals see their significance in articulate their awesomeness so they can confidently and courageously pursued the job they desire and listen up the salary they deserve.
Erin (02:54):
She also serves as a career advisor at her Alma mater university of she frequently shares career related tips and strategies on LinkedIn, which is how I found her. And if you aren't following her, I want you to run to her profile page and click follow. She is full of helpful tips and tricks, and she is one of my favorite voices on LinkedIn. So I just started following her about a month ago and I just consume, consume, consume her content. So go ahead, take a Gander, go over to her LinkedIn profile. Now on today's show, you are going to hear her talk about so many different things, but most importantly, we're going to talk through the challenges we see HR leaders facing today, and we have several great talking points and discussions about those. Then she's going to give you the steps to take on how to overcome these challenges, the number one, and she's got a number two, just spoiler alert thing you can do as an HR leader.
Erin (03:55):
And then what success looks like in 2021 for an HR leader. So hold on, get ready. This show is packed full of goods. Welcome to the improve it podcast with Ricklyn woods. Are you a leader or change maker inside of your business organization or corporation? Are you looking for new innovative ways to drive morale through the roof? Are you looking for fun and exciting icebreakers, team-building exercises and activities that will foster team growth, friendships, loyalty, and completely transform your organization from the inside out? Have you been searching for a fun and unique way to create change instead of this same old dry, boring leadership books and icebreakers that aren't actually working? Hi, I'm Erin Diehl, business improv edutainer failfluencer, and professional zoombie who is ready to help you improve it. My mission in life is to help you develop teams and leaders through play improv and experiential learning. And this podcast, we will deep dive into professional development, team building, effective communication, networking, presentation, skills, leadership training, how to think more quickly on your feet and everything in between. We have helped everyone from fortune 500 companies to small mom and pop shops transformed their business, their leadership, and their people through clay. So grab your chicken hat. We are about to have some fun, welcome to improve it! The podcast.
Erin (05:48):
Okay. Ricklyn, I am so jazzed like I'm using, I have jazz hands right now because I love your energy. I love just your spirit. I'm so thrilled. I know the improve it! Fam. It's going to love having on the show. So welcome to the improve it podcast!
Ricklyn (06:07):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited and appreciate the opportunity.
Erin (06:12):
Well, the honor is ours. I mean that with, with my whole heart, because I have, I've listened to some episodes of your show I have gone through and sluiced through your LinkedIn posts and just think you have so much to offer, especially with this topic we're talking about today, but before we get into it, I want you to tell the improve it! Family, a fun fact about yourself, that we couldn't find on your bio, your LinkedIn profile, your, your podcast, maybe your like loyal podcast listeners might know, but what's a fun fact about Ricklyn that we don't, we don't yet know.
Ricklyn (06:51):
Oh, this is a really good question. I think a fun fact about me that people may not know and I actually just posted something on LinkedIn recently sharing some things that people may not know. So I might've mentioned it there, but I think it's fun that I absolutely love the 80s. Like seriously. Like I could see a TV show or hear a song from that period. And it just gives me so much life and it just reminds me of a time when life was so much simpler and it just really puts me in such a good place. So anything, all thing, eighties, I'm here for.
Erin (07:37):
Wait, can I share a fun fact with you about myself? Okay. So I was a struggling actor when I was 22 and I auditioned for the show called the awesome eighties prom. And it was an off-Broadway show and I kid you not, I walked my happy little butt into the actors equity office with no card, never auditioning for anything like that. Before I got into the show and I ran an a show called the awesome eighties prom for six months in Chicago, it was so fun. And we played a Heather. Okay. You know, Heather and typecast. And it was, I had I was I was a Heather, I was a cheerleader and I wore a neck brace because I fell off the pyramid. That was like, it was a, it was a comedy spoof. It was an improv based show. Anyway, it made me love the eighties. Even more I'm here for all things.
Ricklyn (08:30):
We have that in common. How cool is that?
Erin (08:34):
Didn't know that's where we were going to start the show today, but that's the magic of podcasting and speaking podcasting your podcast. So you want to work in HR was recognized as a top HR podcast to follow in 2021. So number one, congrats. And number two, what made you want to start this show? Give us some insight.
Ricklyn (09:01):
Oh yes. So this, that the podcast is certainly a passion project of mine, but I love how you said the name or the title of the show, because you said it in such a way that it was definitely intended. It has kind of a double entendre meaning. So throughout my HR career, I've had people reach out to me or approach me and say, how did you get in HR? I would love to work in HR. And my thought would always be really, do you often ask them, well, why HR? And most often the answer I would hear back then and still currently is why would I help people? And so I would kind of laugh at that inside because that was my initial goal of working in HR. And then as I progressed in my career, I realized it wasn't as much about the people as I thought it was going to be about.
Ricklyn (09:53):
And so part of the show is for the people who think they want to work in HR and maybe they do, but through my conversations with HR professionals, sharing their career story, it'll give that aspiring HR professional, some insight into what really happens behind the closed doors of human resources. And then on the flip side, it's for people who are veterans in the field who may have hit a crossroad. And they're like, you know, I'm not really feeling motivated by this work or many feel a little bit of cognitive dissonance around kind of trying to find that balance between employee advocate and business partner. And so I've gotten really good feedback from people who have been re-energized in their HR career as a result of some of the guests that I've had on. So I love the show it's done so much more than I thought it would. I'm actually gotten messages from people who have landed their first HR jobs simply by listening to a few episodes.
Erin (10:53):
Okay. That is amazing. I love it. I love, okay. Love the double entendre. I love just the fact that you went for this because I also, I think you started this show maybe what a year, less than a year ago, a little over a year ago, is that right?
Ricklyn (11:10):
Less than a year we launched in March of 2021.
Erin (11:13):
Okay. So, wow. That's amazing. And that has been the success that you've already had with the show. I love that story and I will tell you, it was so interesting. We launched in 20 20th of April of 2020, and it was a very novel idea at the time, right? Everybody's like, oh, the world has shut down. I'm going to launch a podcast. So I'm just thrilled that you have found a niche and you have found a voice and you are like helping many, many people land jobs and see clearer about the path that they want for their future. So kudos to you. That is amazing because it's what nine months, that's nine months.
Ricklyn (11:52):
Yeah. And we've really stepped aside every week since then. And I am amazed like at the, just one, the people who are willing to be, I guess, when I had no listeners and then the people who are still gracious enough to you know, join me in conversation. And I, and I, you can, I'm sure you can relate to this as a podcast or, but I take my role as a podcast host very seriously because people are trusting you with their story. You know, I've, I've got the editing power within my hands. And so for someone to trust me, to tell their story and position it in a way that's going to be meaningful and inspiring. Like I don't take that lightly. I think that there's a great privilege in that.
Erin (12:38):
I totally agree with that. And also the privilege in being able to speak to an audience you're with it's so intimate, right? We're talking to people when they're driving to work, when they're getting ready for work, when they're in the shower, that's intimate. You know, like all of the things that, you know, I listened to shows during those times, and I don't take it for granted either, but I, but I, this leads me to a question you're really setting me up here Ricklyn for my next queue. So this is beautiful. What is your favorite podcast to binge?
Ricklyn (13:14):
That's an easy one for me. I actually, there's a podcast called side hustle pro. That was kind of my, really my introduction into listening to podcasts. And I would, I choose that one because I probably listened to more episodes of that show than any other. I listened to a lot of different podcasts, but that is one that I truly will binge on because I am a assigned hustler. I've got multiple things going on and so I can totally relate to a lot of the topics that they cover on that show.
Erin (13:48):
Love it. I love it. I'm gonna have to check that one out, have not done it yet, but I, I, we did touch on this before the show. I, as I was sleuthing through your LinkedIn, I saw that you do record your podcast from your closet today. Improve it for him. She's not in the closet. We have established, she has moved to an office. I am still in the closet with my podcasting right now, but I love it's just a nice little cozy place to record.
Ricklyn (14:17):
Yeah, it is. And, and what really prompted that? I actually had someone at the time who was editing my podcast for me when I first started and as a new podcast, or I didn't know what I was doing. I was just having conversations with people and she was editing an episode and she was like I can hear dogs in the back. I can hear the gardener. Is there someplace else you can go and was like, well, that's in a pretty small space, but I was like, well, there's this closet.
Erin (14:51):
It, and that's where you're not right now, but where you're usually coming in from. So that makes me so happy. And it's just like, the acoustics are better. I hear you. I, I, I love this little nook. I've dressed it up a little bit. So I'm in my little corner. So that's so fun. And I also, again, in my LinkedIn slew thing, I saw this post you posted, and this is just so fascinating to me. This was you needed money. So you started selling books out of your house on Amazon, and you had a picture of the post was a picture of literally my favorite book. That was my childhood favorite book. Are you there God, it's me Margaret by Judy bloom just got my attention right away. I said, okay. Yes, we have to talk. We're fast friends. We must, we must, we must increase our bust. Okay. Just that very quickly.
Ricklyn (15:48):
So I can totally like picture the words on the page now.
Erin (15:54):
Oh my God. So much a good book. Okay. But my, my last get to know you question is what books have inspired you or what book in particular has inspired you at this past year in 2020 to 2021?
Ricklyn (16:11):
I've done a lot of, of reading this past year. You know, one book I would say is a book titled own your career on your life by Andy storage. And one of the reasons why though it may not be maybe a little bit surprising why that's one of my favorite books, because it actually confirms a lot of the things that I've always thought about career that I would think in my own head, but maybe thought I was a little bit crazy for thinking that way, but to hear or read rather someone else share some of the same sentiments about the power and control we actually do have over our careers was really affirming for me. And I actually use that book as kind of a curriculum for the career coaching work that I do. I think it's super inspiring. And it's all about giving people permission to own their career, which in turn allows you to own your life.
Erin (17:09):
Oh my God. Okay. Can I tell you a full circle moment? The universe brought us together? Okay. This is how I found you. So Andy and I were chatting about guesting on each other's shows. So we're going to have Andy on the show sometime soon, not in the next couple of weeks, but, and then I know he has a show as well. And so I must have gone through his LinkedIn and I saw he was either a guest on your show or something, but I, when you said that title, I'm like, hold on. And then I know I've talked to Andy. So what a full circle moment for you to say that book, but that, that book and that man is really, I think how I found you through LinkedIn.
Erin (17:52):
That's crazy. Okay. So we're going to link to the book in the show notes, but that's so cool. And we're going to talk about your work to here in just a minute, because we wanted to have you by we, I mean, me and my team, I say we, but it's really just me talking. We wanted to have you on the show because you have such a vast background in human resources. And we're talking today about the number one thing you must do as a human resources professional or HR leader in 2021. And I, again, I was sleuthing through your LinkedIn, but you defined yourself as a serial job seeker. You're better at getting jobs and keeping them, you mentioned, you're always searching for more, more meaning and more money. So what made you decide to become a career coach and a resume writer and leave HR?
Ricklyn (18:45):
You know, that is a fantastic question. It's funny hearing you read that back or say that I do say that that is, that is true. So here's what I've really come to understand at this point in my life is that all things really do happen for a reason. And so I posted recently, I haven't given the details, but I actually counted the number of companies that I've worked for since I got my first job at 14. Wow. And the count, and I could be leaving a company or two off with the account that I arrived at was 30 companies that I've actually been employed by in 32 years. Now in full transparency I've, I've worked two jobs for a good period of my career. So some of those jobs were part-time jobs. I took a job, I was working full-time in HR. And I worked overnight at target as a stocker.
Ricklyn (19:41):
I was a single mom with two boys. So there were times where I had to do what I had to do, but I realized that my quest for career fulfillment actually started very young, like from the period of age 14 to 18, I think I'd worked at four different companies during that time at each job, I left to go do something different. Cause I wasn't, I wasn't feeling it where I was. So I was always just in search of this, feeling, this feeling of fulfillment. And I didn't quite know, especially in my teens and early twenties, what that was, I just knew something was off and I would feel it intuitively like even physically get sick sometimes, like I know I'm meant to do something different. And then it became, I want to make more money. And so there was just always this quest for something more and more meaning, more money.
Ricklyn (20:36):
And I would just go from company to company and then I'd wind up feeling the same everywhere that I went until it really resonated with me in 2020, right when the pandemic started, I was working as an HR leader at a manufacturing company. And I did not work well with, with the manager, we, but it has on a lot of different things. But I had already started doing career coaching on the side and it was resume writing on the side, but that wasn't my full-time thing. And so I'm having this conflict with this leader that I'm working with. And I had this epiphany where it was really like the old dating adage, however you say that word, hear. It's not you it's me. And I literally told the manager that cause we had some conversations about why is this working relationship seems so like a tug of war between us and you know, we just came to terms that it wasn't a good fit, but ultimately when I decided to resign, I did say to him, it's not you it's me.
Ricklyn (21:38):
I am out of alignment with my assignment. This is not the work that I'm supposed to be doing. And that's why there's this tug of war. And I just really had kind of a, a real aha moment where it's like, no, the work that you're really meant to do that you really enjoy doing that really lights you up is about developing people and helping them to reach their full potential. And I found them as I reflected over my HR career, dealing with employee relations and I would have employees come in my office to complain about either the workplace or their manager. Oftentimes it wasn't the job, it wasn't the manager, they had made career choices that they were not happy about. And so those things would be like triggers for them. But the reality was they just were not owning their career, which is why I love Andy's book. And it was almost easier to say it's the work environment. It's, it's the manager, but the reality is people just weren't choosing the best career for them.
Erin (22:39):
Oh my gosh, I love this. When you said I'm out of alignment with my assignment. I mean, I felt that real hard. That is amazing. I want to write that down. I love that. And what a powerful, powerful thing. And it's almost like you, you didn't suck at the job. The job just sucked for you. Okay. If lack of a better, you know, those, do I want to use those words? No, but like, it's like you felt as though this tug was at your heart. And so you've, you've gone on now to create your own business, to help people in a way that's meaningful. Do you feel like you're in alignment now with the assignment?
Ricklyn (23:20):
I do, I'm in absolute alignment and I think what's even more cool. And just, if I could add to what you're saying, like, no, I didn't set get the job. It was the job. I also struggle a little bit with just the bureaucracy of corporate America. And so I love HR. I love advising on compliance. I love helping employees navigate challenging issues, but I needed to be able to do HR my way. And so what I have created for myself is this sort of HR ecosystem that allows me to do just that because I do some HR consulting with small businesses and I get to decide, you know, what type of projects I want to take on what types of clients I want to work with and what type of work I want to be doing around HR and the same thing with the career coaching space. So I'm really actually quite proud of myself for you know, creating this. And so I, even though I'm not working for a company at the time right now in, in an HR role, I'm very much immersed in the HR community. I'm actually facilitating an HR certification prep course at the moment I work primarily with HR professionals and my career coaching business. So I love that I've been able to take my enthusiasm for HR and align it with my entrepreneurial spirit and I get to do HR on my terms my way.
Erin (24:45):
Mm Hmm. I'm loving it. Okay. So this is, this is why you're the perfect guest for this show. So can you share, just in your experience, some of the challenges you're hearing HR leaders talk about your clients, people on your show, things that you're hearing specifically this year in 2021, what are some of the biggest challenges that you're hearing HR leaders talk about?
Ricklyn (25:15):
Wow, that's a, I love this question. It is, but I'm so glad that you asked because really what I've seen the most is especially coming off of, you know, the year we we had in 2020 with the social injustice, with the pandemic is what I'm seeing more is that HR is really starting to, or people in HR to really take care of themselves and really see their value and why it's important for them to take care of themselves because as you well know, HR and that the people helping business. And so we inherently put others' needs ahead of our own, but after, you know, companies scrambling to figure out, okay, what do we do during this pandemic? How do we respond to the social injustice issues that are happening? HR really had that seat at the table that we've always been wanting, but at the same time, we had to look within ourselves to figure out, okay, how do we put our oxygen mask on first?
Ricklyn (26:29):
Because people don't always realize, depending on the role you're in, in HR, it can be very heavy work. Many HR professionals experience compassion, fatigue, which is often aligned with people in the nursing or healthcare professions, but HR experiences it too, when you have employees dealing with loss and dealing with other types of kind of tragic situations. And so I'm seeing even on my LinkedIn feed more talk about self care you know, valuing yourself as an HR professionals and really getting that respect that you deserve. We're not just a cost center. We are actually the heartbeat of an organization. And so now I feel like the leaders that I'm working with and guests that I'm having are really owning their value. They're not settling for less and they are leaving organizations that are not on the right side of the narrative that's going on or they're leaving organizations that are not putting employees first.
Ricklyn (27:29):
So I just feel like, you know, there is the season that HR is in where we have we are recognizing our own power and our value and what we really do have to offer an organization. And so I think that's kind of the hottest topic, if you will. And then the other thing that's really big right now, of course, is this staffing crisis trying to get people back to work and figuring out this whole, you know, are we doing hybrid work? Are we going to do remote work? And so, you know, vaccinations, everything really just resulting from the pandemic has just really caused some concern for the workplace and really challenging trying to figure out how do we deal with that in a way that's going to be beneficial to our workforce as well as, as well as the leaders in our customers. So that's, that's probably one of the biggest challenges that HR is trying to navigate.
Erin (28:22):
Yeah. Oh my gosh. So, so, so spot on with all of this and I love that's the first time I've heard compassion, fatigue would this, would this answer, which I, which I really, really love. I love that. And it makes so much, I mean, I don't love that that's happening. I think that it makes so much sense and exactly what you mentioned with this, the staffing crisis, this great resignation. I like to call it, we're calling it over here. The great re-engagement because we help them reengage,
Erin (28:53):
But it is so true. And I am so grateful that you brought up these topics because we really do as leaders. If you're not even in HR. And you're listening to this show today, as a leader, as a human being, it's so important to put that off oxygen mask on first right now. I mean, we have to take care of so many people in our organizations and not to mention our families, not to mention ourselves. So if you had one specific action item for an HR leader to take action on immediately in 2021, what would it be? What steps would they need to take to improve it? And yes, I, that was a pun intended. So what would you say is one very specific action item or are the steps that they would need to take to improve these challenges that are going on?
Ricklyn (29:51):
Well, there are a couple things that I'll mention. I can't just mention one. I think there are two big ones and one is being self care. I can't stress that enough. So whether that means taking time off when you need it, whether that means developing yourself by investing in continuing education, I think self care fits covers all of that. So self care is going to be number one, because I think you can't even get to number two without number one. But number two is really understanding how to be strategic. I work with a lot of HR professionals who have reached a certain point in their career and they're frustrated because they're not getting opportunities to move to the next level. And often where the skill gap is, is in their ability to think and operate from a strategic perspective. And right now, more than ever before, given the environment, and what we're dealing with is the need for HR leaders, HR professionals, who can see the big picture and help organizations really make sound business decisions.
Ricklyn (31:04):
And that's by being strategic and really understanding how business works, why numbers matter. Again, a lot of people give them the HR because they want to help people. They don't necessarily get an HR because they want to be business people. And so that is where I think it's the biggest misnomer between working in HR. Is it, you know, I can just do all the warm and fuzzy. I can plan the parties. I can make sure employees are happy. But there's this even larger component of understanding business operations and how to really influence leaders so that you can focus on, like you mentioned, re-engaging or engaging employees and ensuring, you know, you have a workforce that is inclusive and and cultivating an environment where people feel like they can be themselves, but it really starts with HR getting out of their comfort zone of doing what we've always known and really stretching yourself. Whether that be through again, continuing education, reaching out to others through your network, who may be further along in terms of that ability to think and work strategically. But I would say it's those two S's self-care and strategic work.
Erin (32:13):
Yes. I love, I love a alliteration there. The two s's to take in your snack. Yes. I love it. So self-care being strategic. I wanna, I want to just parlay this into my next question, which is all about success as a leader, we've had so many different, as you mentioned, the social there's two pandemics, the social injustice pandemic, and then the healthcare pandemic. So such a year for HR and a year and a half, if you will. And there was a lot of crisis management that had to take part and it was all in every organization non-dependent on industry was affected myself included. So if you could define success for a leader in HR in 2021, what would that success look like? If you were to say you were successful, what would that mean?
Ricklyn (33:11):
Wow, that is that's really good. Cause I feel like, especially in HR and probably other roles, it's such a success is so fluid, right? I can be successful today. And then tomorrow I'm feel like a complete failure that's going on. But I think, you know, being able to influence when you are able to influence your leadership team to do the right thing, whether that is, you know, do the right thing for your customers, do the right thing for your employees, do the right thing in the communities that you serve. That is what I would consider to be successful. Many HR leaders feel at many levels, feel frustrated when they're making recommendations. And the leader is like, well, that's not really a priority for us, or we don't have the budget for that. And oftentimes when HR professionals feel like they're constantly running into a brick wall where they're trying to get things done, that is what will cause you to feel like you failed. And maybe even have you questioned, is this even the right? Am I even good at HR? I mean there, then that's when kind of imposter syndrome sets in. So I think that is a huge measure of success is when you've established a solid enough relationship with the leaders that you serve and you work with to where you actually able to impact and influence change for the better just for the organization as a whole and all of the you know, stakeholders, whether it be customers, employees,
Erin (34:46):
I love it. And we call that in the improv world. Yes and when you have yes and by leadership, it feels so good. We want to keep sharing ideas. We want to keep coming to the table with more, love that. So influencing your leadership to do what is right. Is success for an HR leader in 2021. I am obsessed with that and I think it's absolutely accurate, accurate. Let me, let me speak words here. Accurate. So talking about making things up, let me ask you this. Have you ever tried improv?
Ricklyn (35:23):
I have never tried improv.
Erin (35:26):
That is okay. You are not going to have to improvise today. Although I will remind you that you are improvising every time I ask you a question, you're coming up with it on the fly. So you're nailing it. You're you're an improviser. Look at that.
Erin (35:43):
There you are. So let me ask you this from what you know of improv, which a lot of people, when they hear that word, their armpits get sweaty, they get what I like to call the ick factor, which is that imposter syndrome where they're like, I can't make stuff up on the fly. I feel uncomfortable. But it's really this, this beautiful art form that allows people to release these sort of shields that we bring to work every day, the masks that the hypothetical masks, not the real masks, the hypothetical masks that shield us from really allowing ourselves to feel safe, to show up and be our true selves. So from what you know, and if maybe I just kind of gave you a couple of things about improv, but what, from what you know of improv, how would you say HR leaders have improvised during the past year?
Ricklyn (36:32):
Ooh, that's a really, really good question. I think in a whole lot of ways, because when, you know, the world shut down, a lot of companies had no crisis management plan in place, had no idea what we would do next. And so without a playbook for how to respond that whole project was improv. Now there were as information was released, as you know, the world at large learns more they were able to make some adjustments based on guidance by the government, but for the most part, it was really figuring out what's the best thing to do. I'll give you a perfect example because I was still in corporate, right? When the pandemic started and we were dealing with, you know, how do you handle somebody who has been exposed to the virus and you know, what, what do we do? Do we send them home?
Ricklyn (37:30):
Do we pay them while they're waiting for results? Do we ask for test results? Like there was especially early on there, there was no guideline for that you really had to go with sometimes know what seemed to make the most sense. What was the right thing to do by the employee where it might there have been the least amount of exposure. So a lot of it was managing the the COVID-19 situation, just really by the seat of your pants and hoping that you were doing and documenting the right thing. And other thing I'll share with you, I, again, I was in the warehouse environment and we, we were an essential employer, so our employees needed to show up every day. And once the idea came around to start doing temperature checks, we were trying to come up with an idea for what's this, the safest compliant way to do that.
Ricklyn (38:22):
And I actually came up with an idea to reach out to our local nursing school, because I had heard through a friend that, you know, they aren't even going in to do their clinicals right now because of it. So they're looking for something to do. So I reached out to two local nursing schools to their career department and said, Hey, we have an opportunity. We're going to pay some pretty good money. We need someone to show up in some scrubs and take temperatures for our employees. And they were like, wow. So to a nursing student being paid $30 an hour to take temperatures wasn't too bad at all. And it went over really well. Our company was national. We had offices all over the U S and my location was the first to adopt that. And several locations did thereafter. So I don't know how you can get more improv than that.
Erin (39:13):
Oh my God, you deserve an Emmy for that performance. Okay. That's crazy. And, and very thoughtful. And you were improvising on the fly. I mean, there is just literally, I think back 20, 20 and 2021, we're still in 2021 right now, but I'm like, oh my God, everyone's an improviser. We were just left and right figuring it out as we go, we were, you know, building the plane as we were flying it. And just it's sometimes there were some screws.
Erin (39:47):
With that metaphor, but I mean, wow. So HR leaders, hats off to you because you have give yourself right now, wherever you're at, if you're driving, keep one hand on the wheel. But if you give yourself a pat on the back yeah. Cause you deserve it. I mean, it is what a time for everyone, especially HR, the heartbeat of the organization, which I love that you said Ricklyn So I am just going to end with this final question. So we say at, improve it. That you're, it can mean so many things, but it's for us, it's the thing that you feel that you were put on this earth to do. So riklin woods. What is your it?
Ricklyn (40:28):
That's easy for me. So my it is helping others experience fulfillment in their careers by leaning into their full potential. That's why I worked for 30 companies because I needed to figure out the blueprint for landing a good job that really, really aligned with your values, your skills, your experience. But I had to go through it myself before I would be able to show others how to achieve that. So that is what I know I'm here to do. That is what I get to do every day. I feel very fortunate and privileged to be able to do that. And people invite me to come along with them on their career journey. And for that I am so grateful.
Erin (41:16):
Oh my gosh, helping others find alignment with the assignment. I knew it. I knew it was your it, I mean, it is. You're so powerful. And the work that you're doing is truly changing lives. So thank you. Thank you. Let me ask you this. Tell the improve it! Family, how they can find you if they want to connect with you. If they want to learn more, give them all the goods.
Ricklyn (41:39):
Awesome. So LinkedIn is my platform of choice. I'm there daily. Sometimes several times a day. You can just look me up there, Ricklyn Woods. Also my website, Ricklynwods.Com. There, you can also learn more about my podcast and the work that I do as a career coach and resume writer.
Erin (42:00):
I love it so much. Ricklyn and I can say without a doubt that if anyone today was asking themselves, so do you want to work in HR? You have helped them answer that in the best way possible. And we are just so grateful for your time, your energy and forgiving us, your wisdom and insights. So thank you, Ricklyn for being here.
Ricklyn (42:21):
Thank you so much for having me Erin.
Erin (42:23):
It is my pleasure.
Erin (42:33):
Okay. improve it fam I mean, hello. Hello, perfect guest for this show. Ricklyn is awesome. I really feel like we become friends. Ricklyn, if you're listening to this, no, I mean, that call me okay. I mean that she's just awesome. Her light, her energy, her spirit, and she really is aligned with her assignment. And it's beautiful to watch you heard it straight from her today. The number one thing, and number two thing you must do as a human resources professional in HR, as a leader in HR in 2021 is take care of yourself. Take time off when you need it, continue your education, whatever that means to you, develop yourself outside of work and think big picture, be strategic. Those two Ss, you mentioned self-care and be strategic - HR leaders that can see the big picture are going to go further.
Erin (43:35):
Know how the business works, know how numbers matter. Get out of that HR comfort zone because the world needs you. We need your heartbeat, not only for the organization, but we need leaders like you to keep stepping up and guiding leadership in the right direction. We need your voice. We want to thank you for your voice. All HR leaders deserve a standing ovation for the work that you've done in 2020 and 2021. So thank you so much for your service and to my beautiful improve it! Family listening today. Thank you so much for giving this time to yourself and allowing me to be a part of it. Keep giving yourself that self care, keep failing, keep trying and keep improving because you know this, the world needs that special. It that only you can bring, I'll see you next time. Hey friends, thanks for tuning in to improve it.
Erin (44:34):
I am so happy you're along for the ride. If you enjoyed this show, head on over to iTunes to leave us a five star review and subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Now, if you're really feeling today's show and you've improved it even just a little bit, please take a screenshot and tag me at keepinitrealdiehl on Instagram and share it in your stories. I'll see you next week, but I want to leave you with this thought, what did you improve today and how will that help your future successful self? Think about it. I am rooting for you and the world needs that special. It that only you can bring see you next time.