Totality

I don't know if you've heard or not, but the solar eclipse is on Monday, 4/8/24. People around us are geeked !! At my workplace, we're almost in the path of totality. My hometown is in the path of totality, and there are events planned all day for the 4+ minutes of darkness.

One of my team did a great job setting up a display at the corporate office of Sun Chips, Oreos (like the moon covering the sun), Mini Moon Pies, and Eclipse glasses for people to wear on Monday. I went off book because I wanted to get a pair of tie-dye glasses to wear and commemorate this celestial event.

I think there are lessons we can learn from the eclipse. I'm not talking about "embracing the energy" or that some unexpected spiritual occurrence will take place. The things I'm talking about are around work.

First, it's quite refreshing to see people rally around a common event !! When people do this, have you noticed that grousing and complaining disappear? Instead, people exude joy, curiosity, and collaboration. It seems natural and people show little resistance.

What if that was the norm in our company culture? How could we take the steps needed where people rallied around the work they did and the people they worked with? What would our days look like if we didn't focus on weaknesses and what isn't being "done"? We could foster and develop an environment where people looked forward to getting together. They valued the different perspectives and approaches of their peers. Is it possible ??

The answer is YES !! What's missing is no one acts as a conductor to bring this to life. This is an incredible opportunity for forward-thinking HR pros to be those conductors. This type of constructive and inviting culture should become our norm and not be as rare as the appearance of a solar eclipse.

What do you say? Are you willing to shift what you do to move your culture in this positive direction? I think we ALL should do our best to make this happen.

Secondly, the moment everyone is anticipating is when the moon completely covers the sun. It's estimated that hundreds of thousands are flocking to try and be in the path of totality. We want to see it first hand. We want to see the sun blocked out from the sky even for a few moments.

We could also provide moments of coverage for others at work. As HR pros, we need to be present, available, and attentive to all of our employees. ALL of them. Instead of letting people get hung out to be criticized or ridiculed, we should provide cover. This rarely happens and instead, we end up picking up the pieces of interactions that went awry. Aren't you tired of being called on only as an afterthought? When the majority of your HR job is reactionary in nature, you get burned out.

We can see lessons in the world around us that can be applied in the work we do. In fact, those learnings are often far more effective than trying to glean items from webinars, conferences, and textbooks. Tomorrow, don your eclipse glasses and look up to enjoy this celestial marvel. Then take the steps to provide cover for your people and improve your culture going forward. Enjoy the eclipse !!