Break free from ‘busyness’: align your CHRO role with purpose
At the core of the CHRO Impact Framework is the core mindset – being purposeful and always learning. In a previous blog, I talked about what being purposeful might mean and why it’s important. In this blog, I take this forward into some of the unhelpful behaviours that I see some CHROs displaying which might not be entirely aligned to their purpose. I’m exploring how to break free of 'busyness' and align your CHRO role with purpose.
My journey with ‘busyness’
As with many of the CHROs I work with, I went into the role because I wanted to work with people. Put me through any psychometric test and I can guarantee it will say that I am a people person. I seek out roles, settings, and hobbies that are full of interaction and conversation. I love helping people. I’m a serial volunteer and end up on trustee boards and organising community groups.
These are great qualities, but they can - like any strength - become overplayed. I’m a people pleaser; I love the dopamine hit of getting things done for people and I become very dutiful under pressure. I sometimes moan when I take too much on, but I’m driven by my desire to be liked and feel useful.
As a CHRO, I spent hours each day answering emails and as quickly as they came in my inbox would fill up again. I moaned about this, but it was my comfort zone. It felt good to be useful and good to tick administrative or menial tasks off my to-do list. I even sometimes added to-dos to my list after I’d completed them, just so I could tick them off!
Honest reflection
I recently worked with a CHRO who was bogged down in administration and email. She had a competent, ambitious team, but often struggled to delegate to them. We dug into the reasons why. It was tough. It meant she had to look deep into herself and reflect honestly on what was driving her behaviours. But there were some interesting results:
She was busy and her role was demanding – nothing unusual there for a CHRO.
On the other hand, she recognised that she was stuck in ‘hustle culture’. She wore her busyness as a badge of honour, and believed it was valued by her organisation.
She LOVED to say yes and hated saying no. Over her career, she’d built an identity of being someone who got on with stuff and delivered. Saying no meant she lost a sense of who she was.
Her reluctance to delegate was also driven by perfectionist tendencies. Her team were becoming frustrated by a lack of empowerment.
We worked together to reprioritise how she worked. We started with emails. Just by implementing some basic rules into how she managed her inbox was transformational. For each email, she asked:
Is this email really for me or is it for someone else? If it isn’t, I’ll pass it on, or not reply at all.
Do I need to reply to this email straight away? If it’s not urgent, it can wait.
How can I reply in a way that means I don’t get another email back? I want to minimise email traffic.
Although this was uncomfortable to implement, this resulted in far fewer emails. It’s often true that the fewer emails you send, the fewer you’ll receive in return.
Unhelpful ‘helpful’ behaviours
We also looked at where she was spending her time. She identified several tasks and projects that belonged with her team. I challenged her to practise delegating more, even when she was concerned that a team member might not deliver quite to her personal quality standards. This was even more uncomfortable, but over time she built a stronger delegation muscle.
Saying ‘no’ is never easy
Finally, she practised saying ‘no’. She wasn’t rude, she was measured and assertive. She constantly reprioritised and was clear on her boundaries. This was the hardest task of all. She hasn’t completely cracked it, but she’s getting there.
Why not reflect on how you manage your time as a CHRO:
Do you have a clear idea of where you spend your time?
Does the way you spend your time align with your purpose?
Do you indulge yourself with easy, non-value add tasks, because it feels good to tick them off your list?
Are you prioritising your time around value-add activities?
Where do you need to lean into the discomfort of letting go of some control?
Join the discussion
Join us live for 'The Core Mindset of Great CHROs' webinar, on Tuesday 24th September 2024 at 15:00 UK. I will be taking a deeper dive into a key element of our CHRO Impact Framework, mindset. I will lead the discussion around the importance of purpose and aligning your work towards it. Looking at how the top CHROs prioritise their work, set great boundaries, and push their development forward to be successful.
