There are times when things get dark and you think you're at a dead end. Still, even then you have at least one choice: choose to decode the lesson and grow, or let the opportunity of the difficult moment pass as quickly as possible.
Some (not so many) years ago, I was working as an HR manager in a large organization. For about 12 years I held this position. And then… came the memo crisis, the corona crisis, and HR, my department was eliminated in an hour. The only possibility for me to stay was to be promoted to Director of Internal Audit. I hated the prospect. With so much experience and dedication to education and human resources, what business did I have to meddle with the financial data and even in the role of an auditor? But for various reasons I didn't have the option to leave. So I accepted the position. I have a principle that perhaps comes from the fact that I have been working since I was young and I had to do many jobs in my life that I didn't like. The principle I have is this: What you do, from the moment you undertake it - even if you don't like it - do it in the best way. How do I achieve this? I start by finding something, even something small that I like and I go from there. In this case, I had the following choice: to wait for the time to pass until my departure, or to learn about myself and my career path through this uncomfortable position, as much as I could.
I chose the second one and here's what I learned/understood/discovered:
- I picked up my love of math – directly related to finance. I learned to use the numbers to "read" the past, to identify weak areas and where I need to intervene. I learned to better and more accurately use control patterns, develop them where they did not exist and make financial forecasts
- I realized how much internal control is connected to HR on a values level. I confirmed how important trust is when I was examining the numbers together with my colleagues and we were looking for the essence, not what to embellish but what to help develop, correct. I also confirmed how important meritocracy and honesty are when looking for the real causes of economic disparities.
- I connected with something bigger: Internal audit has one of the best professional institutes in the world. I connected with it and worked with the wonderful women who run it.
All three courses ultimately made me a better professional in what I love to do now as an HR freelancer, trainer and coach since:
- I always connect what I do with numbers. I firmly believe that it cannot be measured does not exist. I motivate my clients to set standards and measure results.
- I help people understand how measuring performance, identifying profit, measuring evaluation criteria support them and do not threaten them. They just need to learn to use them based on values.
And finally
- I value Internal Auditors very much because I know firsthand their difficulties and I am happy to bring them into contact with the companies I work with.
You always have a choice. In the most difficult, in the darkest, you have a choice. Just open your perspective.
photo Dieterich01, https://pixabay.com
