I identify ways to increase productivity.
Ever sat in a pointless meeting? Bombarded by emails? Yeah, me too. In a world where we have ever-increasing workloads, we're sacrificing productivity for burn-out, where the work gets done but our employees suffer, and eventually the work does too. This leads to revolving doors, less value-added work, stressed out employees, overwhelmed managers, and a bottom line that isn't as strong as it could be. 

I work with managers and employees to help identify ways that they can work smarter, not just longer or harder. I help managers implement ways to make their interactions with employees more enriching, like using short weekly or bi-weekly touchbases. I coach employees and managers who have monotonous, strenuous, and repetitive jobs on staying positive, mixing it up where possible, and identifying opportunities for cross-training.
I get creative with conflict resolution.
I was "raised up" in HR where conflicts were largely resolved by bringing one person in and saying "let's try to get along with Mr. X" and then bringing the other person in separately and doing the same. This NEVER worked. Humans just don't operate like that. Our conflicts are embedded in our emotions, and the only way we can truly work through the issues we have with someone else is to embrace candor and get to the core of the conflict.

​I believe that everyone is basically the same - we just want to be seen, we want to be heard, and we want to feel like what we say actually matters. I help teach people empathy - the act of validating someone else's experience. When people realize that they can validate someone without having to agree with them, it's one of the most enlightening experiences I've ever had the privilege to see.
I help managers build trust.
I've always found it to be remarkable how little employees trust management. This is not good! We all know the statistics that prove people don't leave companies they leave managers, but it's often a conundrum for management to solve this. I see it a bit simplier - build trust. Trust is the foundation upon which all relationships grow, so we must build the trust. 

I coach managers in ways to build trust with their employees through small, repeatable, and genuine interactions. By helping managers feel comfortable with starting small by building rapport through "small talk" and explaining the "why" of their decisions, I gradually help managers get to a place where they are masters of conflict resolutions and powerful communicators with a team who trusts and works hard for them. This is some of the most powerful stuff HR can do in an organization.
I drive change.
"Change" has become a dirty word to employees. There are lots of employees who have come to associate "change" with layoffs, increased workloads, more buearacracy, and stress. But it totally doesn't have to be this way! I know I'm a little biased, because I love change. I have a knack for seeing the awesome vision of the "to be" on the other side, and I get really excited. Not everyone's like me though, that's why I love to help with managing change.

The power of change lies in the power of stories. I create stories that can transport people to another time and place, where they are competitors fighting for the glory of being awesome, and how this strategic change is going to help them WIN! And it's as easy as creating a login for the new employee portal ;) 

Change is hard, but it's necessary to stay relevant, to keep being leaders. The more comfortable employees feel about change, the more successful it will be.
I de-stress the workplace.
Stress is a productivity and morale killer. I look at tackling stress in three ways - balancing workloads, making the workplace an enjoyable place to be, and listening. 

I work with managers and employees to create better balance to reduce stress. I also use the tenets of organizational design to help managers put work where it should be.

"The devil is in the details" is one of my favorite sayings, because it's really the little things that keep us enjoying life and put a smile on our face. I help create events and programs that create employee experiences to engage with their co-workers and their workplace. Whether it's a peer bonus program or a jelly bean counting contest, I work hard to bring smile-inducing experiences to employees.

Most importantly though, I am a listener. I am only as good at solving problems as I am understanding those problems, and the best way to understand is to listen. I listen deeply to people's concerns, their fears, their frustrations, and help them begin to eliminate some stress in their lives by increasing their productivity, help them resolve conflicts, build more trust with the organization, and cope with change.