National Association of Counties *
Washington, D.C. Vol. 32,
No. 16 * September 11, 2000
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The H.R. Daughter:
Passing and Sharing
the Torch
Dear Elyse,
Congratulations on your new Masters Degree in Public Administration! I
also congratulate you for choosing a career in public service, in HR and
in local government management. You know from our many talks and walks
that this is a noble career in which you can see the positive effects of
your work everyday. No job is without frustration and risk of failure. If
there is any guarantee in life, it is that at different times in our
careers we all will fail and some work project wont come out as we had
hoped.
The good news is that failure, strangely enough, can be more
valuable to us than success. With constant success we tend to get arrogant
and self-centered (see the HR Doctor Article called Hubris Arrogant
Pride, published on May 24, 1999.) When we fail, on the other hand, if we
seize on and learn from the experience we can grow as individuals and as
professionals. In science and in life in general, it is more often out of
initial failure that we achieve the greatest successes of our
lives.
Since I am offering free advice as the HR Daddy, I urge
you to also keep recognizing the critical importance of balance and fun in
work and in your personal life. You are already a champion fiddle player
and singer. The musicians phrase We dont stop playing because we grow
old, we grow old because we stop playing is something important to always
remember.
Never stop playing and never stop learning. The most
enjoyable people to be around either at dinner or at work are people who
are Renaissance persons. Their interests are diverse. Their outlooks on
life are broad and they are willing to share with others. They follow the
concept of find thyself a teacher.
It is essential as you gain
more experience in our profession, that you never stop learning from
others and always try to surround yourself with people from whom you can
learn. The opposite is also extremely important in your career be a
teacher. Be a champion for sharing your knowledge and for helping your
colleagues at work and the young people who are just starting their
careers in school and at work. Challenge them and help them learn to
appreciate the power of knowledge, how to use it, and how to give it away
to others.
Your very strong and well developed sense of humor makes
you a colleague people want to be around and someone who can defuse
intense situations with a respectful and unexpected display of humor. You
never laugh at someone elses expense, and you use your powerful skills in
verbal and written communication in ways that show respect and joy in
living.
You will be an extraordinary HR Director, or City or County
Manager, if that is what you want to do. If it isnt or if you find
yourself in a work setting with people who dont give you the chance to
grow or who arent respectful, attempt to change their views by helping
them see a better way to do things.
If you cant change that
environment despite your efforts, then find another job. Dont spend the
precious productive hours of your day and your life doing something you
dont enjoy or working in a place where you are not appreciated and where
you cant make a contribution.
You are my friend and my
professional colleague as well as my daughter. It has always been an honor
to be your dad and now to watch you grow as a fellow practitioner in a
fast expanding and very enjoyable profession. I am very proud of you.
(Rosenberg is the Human Resources director for Broward
County, Fla.)
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