This is Someone’s Life
Running a business isn't (usually) a life and death situation. But whether you're a startup founder, small business owner, or anyone managing / hiring a team, we'd all be a little better off remembering four simple words: "This is someone's life."
I recently tuned into Hebba Yousef's podcast, where she interviewed Rhona Barnett-Pierce, a leading Talent Acquisition Consultant and content creator. One key takeaway was the note Rhona keeps on a post-it at her desk. Before every offer call, this note serves as a crucial reminder: This isn’t about her winning. This isn’t about checking a box and making a hire. “This is someone's life." It's a powerful reminder that every decision and every action impacts real people.
Think about it: The weight of communicating honestly about a role when you're under pressure to fill it. The challenge of delivering the news that someone's job, income, and benefits are no longer secure. The responsibility of providing clear and constructive feedback. Raise your hand if you've ever procrastinated, hesitated, or mishandled any of these tough situations. If you’ve managed people, your hand should be up. We’ve all faced these tough moments and we’ve all made mistakes. It’s rarely out of malice or a single-minded pursuit of profit; it’s simply because these situations are inherently difficult and fraught with complexity.
The work we do might not be life or death, but it is life. And that's worth getting right.
As startup founders and small business owners, you're juggling a million things. Your to-do list never ends, and sometimes, HR issues fall to the bottom of that list. Every decision you make, every conversation you have (or don’t have), impacts someone's life—their career, their livelihood, their sense of worth. Neglecting the human element doesn’t just affect your employees; it reverberates through your entire company. Organizations that prioritize their people and engagement consistently report higher productivity, lower turnover, and reduced burnout.
I get it! Running a business is stressful, and stress can erode empathy. But prioritizing your people isn't just ethically sound—it's a strategic business decision.
The good news? You don't have to navigate this alone.
Ready to build a more human-centric organization without the overhead of a full-time HR department? My fractional HR services can help you implement empathetic practices that benefit both your business and your people. Because at the end of the day, while the work we do might not be life or death, it is life. And that’s worth getting right.
