About the Why
Lara Martinez Gonzalez
Career Development Architect. Talent Intelligence Strategist. Founding Member of Hacking HR. Advisory Board member. Executive Coach. PMP, SHRM-SCP
I was washing my hands in the office bathroom and I encountered a colleague that was a new hire. Somehow, we started talking about where we were before this organization and she asked me why I had made a change towards the pharma industry. Very honestly, I told her that I had landed here by pure accident. My previous company was in the online printing industry, totally unrelated to healthcare, and it was a recruiter who gave me the call that helped me land where I am today.?
I told this person that even when this hasn’t been a conscious decision, I have definitely found my calling: there is a very different level of engagement when you are saving lives, than when you are selling business cards.?
At that moment, one of the stalls in the bathroom opened. A colleague I haven’t met yet looked at me and told me: I was born with a rare disease. It was thanks to this company and similar organizations that I’m alive today. I’m thankful everyday for the work that you and the rest of the people here do, and I couldn’t be more proud of belonging here.?
No need to say I was speechless.?
This happened a couple of weeks ago and I’m still replaying that event in my head. Since then, I attended multiple conferences,? read many articles, and was “attacked†by social media posts that somehow were talking about purpose. How critical it is to identify your WHY, the reason that makes everything meaningful, to have a better performance, a better engagement, a better life.
I was lucky enough to be “slapped in the face†with my purpose with that random bathroom encounter. If I ever had doubts about being in the right place, the universe just made it very clear to me that I am.?
As an HR leader passionate about career development, this is definitely a lesson that I’ll keep close. By helping people identify their Why, we can create a better employee experience and maximize organizational performance and engagement.
Maybe I can start applying this now by asking you: what’s your purpose?
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of current or previous employers. Any content provided by the author is her opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.
Customer Success | Coffee Consumer | Bamboo Plant Collector
3 å¹´Working with a purpose (professionaliy or personally) is life-changing and you can help change others lives. That's the best reward.
AI is changing the world - I am here to supercharge that change | Connecting HR and Tech | Leading People & Product Initiatives
3 年Thank you for sharing this, Lara! It must be a truly inspiring experience to work alongside employees who are grateful for what the company does and are proud to be a part of it. The best recognition that any HR professional can receive! From my perspective, I believe that by leveraging technology, we can empower workplaces with objective decisions. Many organizations are unaware of how many decisions they make on a daily basis that involve bias, which can result in discrimination against different groups of people or stereotyping on so many levels—and this extends beyond workplace policies. Most importantly, I want to contribute to the creation of a balance between individual opportunity and collective stability, so that individuals can reach their full potential while maintaining social order for themselves and those around them. This is why I advocate for the wider adoption of People Analytics and unbiased AI for HR.