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I truly love our Team - each one of them. They are the ones that make the magic happen. We don't always talk about 'love' in business but there is no doubt in my mind that it is an important part of everything we do. Showing people genuine love and kindness builds trusting relationships which enables amazing results and impact. When we visited the US this Summer, several people have asked us, '"how do you run a mostly US company from Europe". My answer is always the same - it's having the best team and the deep trust and respect we share. We are for sure not perfect, but I am very certain we do have each other's best interest at heart ALWAYS (including our trusted partners and clients)! On several occasions I have heard some of our team members say, 'I work for Erika'. I always make a correction and say we work together (they can attest to this). The reason is, I absolutely could not do this on my own. For example, I report into several of our team members on projects AND client accounts. They are better than me at many things and we win as a team. In this ''back-to-school'" season, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on one of the best highlights of our Summer! It has become a tradition to get our amazing HIHR Team together for what we call our annual 'Go Higher Retreat'! Most of us are coming from the Lehigh Valley, PA...but also from Scranton, Philadelphia, Canada, South Carolina and our family was able to host this in between our move from Switzerland to Latvia. Our time together was packed with the following:
To me the MOST important thing was to catch-up on a more personal level, have fun...and celebrate together! 🙂 There was a bunch of learning, problem solving and planning going on...but it was also so important to just laugh and enjoy the special time of being together and that's exactly what we did! Many of us have worked together in different capacities for over 10 years and have deep relationships/history. Though we visit clients and travel for trainings...we do MOST of our work remotely, so it is important we stay connected as a team. Author: Erika Butler, CEO #teambuilding #teamdevelopment #bestteam #hrcommunity #hr #retreats #traininganddevelopment #teamwork #teamengagement 
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I've found navigating change can feel like running through a big cloud of fog...or completing a challenging maze, not knowing which way to turn next (like this crazy maze my son made in the sand!). This is a topic we feel is so important to spend time learning about and proactively developing in ourselves and those around us. Change continues to be a steady constant in our lives. If not managed carefully, it can lead us unnecessarily to ‘Change Fatigue'. I must give a big thank you to Nikki Carter for writing this awesome Indeed article on 'Combating Change Fatigue'. It was awesome to be part of the process and have the opportunity to share our insight with the hope of helping more people navigate this in a healthy and productive way. Though it is not necessarily easy, it is possible! Change fatigue refers to the feeling of being exhausted by the constant changes going on in a workplace. An interesting thing about change fatigue is that it doesn't matter if the changes are seen as positive; they still contribute to employees' fatigue. Some symptoms of change fatigue include:
I remember the first time I went through this myself and felt like the floor was crumbling from underneath me. It felt much harder to move the needle and make an impact. There was so much organizational change all around me. This included a lot of leadership transition- real partners/mentors/supporters I had come to trust were moving on. It felt impossible to succeed and learn the 'new way' of operating without the same trusted support system. Living through this multiple times, I now understand with the uncertainty, change also brings MUCH creativity, new opportunities, new talent, even new friendships and CAN lead to much success and growth on the other side. This is a real thing many of us deal with but there are tried and true ways we can better manage this when leading ourselves and others through change. Feel free to check out the Indeed article which shares recommendations from our HIHR strategies as well as other experienced change agents on combating this real challenge. As humans, we can only handle so much change at a time. In seasons that may feel like non-stop change professionally, personally, etc., it is important to be kind to ourselves, prioritize health, have honest conversations with our leaders/teams and be open to new possibilities! We offer in-depth training and coaching on this very thing. We love to support and walk closely with those navigating these big and impactful seasons of change with the goal of making the most of the opportunities that change always seems to promote! #changeleadership #changemanagement #hrcommunity #hr #indeed #traininganddevelopment Author: Erika Butler, CEO  I've always lived in a country that governed itself freely for hundreds of years, until now. I'm now living in my 4th country (3rd Continent) and it has been an amazing experience. Latvia was again made an independent nation in 1991, after 50+ years of occupation by the Nazi's and the Soviet Union. We're finding that this nation is full of such lovely people and we already feel welcomed. It is hard to explain how much I've learned in just one month trying to grasp the Latvian history/culture/etc. and it has intensified my drive to make a meaningful impact through our organization/etc. I see how much more is possible in freedom and the incredible gift it is; not to be taken for granted. To share one insightful personal experience: This picture represents about 2 million people that held hands & sang from the capital of Estonia, through Riga, Latvia and down to Lithuania (Baltic Countries). This is now known as the 'Baltic Chain of Freedom'. You can see these pictures in several of the museums celebrating the special & powerful moment. We were invited for a meal by a Latvian family we met, and it turns out the incredible woman was right there along with the millions standing, holding hands in this ''chain'' when she was young in 1989. It was inspiring to hear her story. ''On 8/23/89, approx. two million people from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined hands to form a human chain spanning 690 kilometers (430 miles) across the three Baltic states. This peaceful political demonstration became known as the Baltic Way or the Baltic Chain of Freedom''. (Source: https://lnkd.in/e-jWSvfD) Coincidently, I'm starting a certification this week (Finally! I've been excited!) in relation to seeking further understanding of people/teamwork in a global world. Once completed, it will be offered in the form of training as a HIHR LLC service and will definitely benefit me as a new resident of Latvia. The program is called Inter-Cultural Intelligence. This goes much deeper than my current/previous experiences. KnowledgeWorkx, the certifying group, provides tools/programs in over 70 countries with organizations large & small around the world! They have become a dear partner to us whom we trust and deeply appreciate. I have come to realize, especially as of late, how little I really understand about cultures different than my own upbringing/life experience. I'll be looking for individuals who would like to learn more about this as well. To become a certified practitioner, I'll successfully execute the training/coaching with a group of participants (free of charge). This is beneficial for those working in international organizations to support collaboration, problem solving and success for global teams (though you don't have to leave home these days to find an international team, am I right?). If you also have interest in growing in this area, please message me/email us at hello@gohihr.com. #teamwork #international #culture Author: Erika Butler, CEO  In 8 days our HIHR Team will be together again in person! We are excited to gather from Europe, Canada, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania to work together to continue to improve our client offerings, increasing our capabilities, and developing our strengths as a team! We plan to make the most of our time together and will be specifically focused on getting quality time catching-up in person/team-building, growing our knowledge with training in Business Acumen and Talent Development, going through our Group DiSC Report, celebrating our annual awards, enjoying fun meals together and of course some team pictures! It’s amazing how much you can do as a remote team these days! Still, it can be difficult to replace the ‘water cooler’ chat that happens so organically in an office setting. I would love to hear what other remote teams are doing to connect and collaborate on a deeper level. How do you support opportunities for relationship building, sporadic teamwork and ‘cooler chat’ across your teams? #remotework #teamwork #celebration #reunion #traininganddevelopment Author: Erika Butler, CEO  This Saturday, our family moves from one of the most beautiful countries we have seen (Switzerland) and we start a new adventure. We are experiencing the variety of emotions one would expect, but overall, we are happy and excited to dive in! This next chapter is taking place in Riga, Latvia. With this move, we will continue our large focus on pouring into our HIHR LLC clients, team and community. We have learned that Riga is a place of great entrepreneurship, resources and support. We believe it will be a great time of development and growth for our organization and for us professionally and personally! I’d love to invite those interested to follow along with us and join our ‘Go Higher!’ Quarterly Connection Newsletter! Here you will find a few pages highlighting company updates, always some HR tips and access to free resources to best support your organization! We send these 4 times a year as a way to keep our clients, partners and collaborators current on company updates, trends and opportunities! This quarter, we provide our Focus Group Tool Kit including guidelines with recommended questions and a pulse survey to close out the sessions! You can sign-up and join us by going here: https://lnkd.in/duvinbhi ...or just drop me a note and we will get you added in time for our most recent updates! Thank you and here’s to high hopes of much learning, growth and impact on the road ahead! Author: Erika Butler, CEO  A recent hot topic has been career transitions. I have closely witnessed several people do this very well and really go for it! One real-life example is our Higher International Human Resources Team Member, Andy Schneider, SHRM-SCP, M.Div. I'm excited to congratulate him for the major achievement of passing his Sr. HR Certification through SHRM! I was always impressed with Andy from his commitment to becoming a bi-lingual Spanish speaker, to his inquisitive nature - always caring and asking deep questions…to most recently completing a master’s course in career counseling and of course now obtaining his SHRM-SCP (Society of Human Resource Management - Senior Certified Professional). I have been fortunate to know Andy for at least 20 years and have always seen him as a bright, caring, and driven person! Most recently I have witnessed Andy study and work extremely hard to pass a 4-hour senior HR certification, demonstrating his gift and body of knowledge in the HR Workcenter! I have already seen him work as a talented leader, speaker, pastor, mentor, and the list goes on. It is awesome to see him excel in this career path, and I believe the sky is the limit for him! He has been working in the HR space for about 2 years, but I believe he is just getting started with the impact he will continue to make! We are beyond proud of what Andy has achieved and we are celebrating him today. It is an honor to have Andy on our team for over 6 months and we have no doubt he will be successful in his on-going goals and pursuits. I am excited to witness the many organizations and people that Andy will continue to impact, develop and pour into! We are committed to building the best team possible to take amazing care of our clients and do everything we can to support and impact organizational goals. We are a dedicated team of people who embody our core values of Quality, Trust and Results. Team members like Andy make this possible! Thank you again, Andy and a huge congratulations to you! Author: Erika Butler, CEO  This right here - This is our top ‘why’. There are others - but this absolutely sits at the top. Thank you, Nancy, for being so vulnerable and providing this encouragement to me and others. It was hard not to get emotional when I saw this! I know many of us are balancing all the wonderful end-of-school year activities AND our work schedules (not to mention other important areas of life). There is a reason there are actual university level courses focused completely on ‘work-life’ balance (and I was first in line for them!). I know we are not the only ones navigating our paths forward here and doing our best to build a healthy, centered life. To our amazing HIHR LLC Clients, Partners, and Team….we are doing this together!!!! Because of YOU, we are able to do what we love, be here for you and your teams…and for our families! We have extremely high trust and work closely as a team to make this happen. We might not get it perfect every day, and there are seasons when things are more manageable than others…but I believe It IS possible. Myself, Nancy and a few others on our team are living this reality. I truly believe it spills over into our work, our families and our community! What Nancy shared really touched my heart and gives me even more motivation to keep going and growing!!! I too had the opportunity to volunteer and spend our kids ‘Sports Day’ with them. It was hot, crazy, chaotic, fun and amazing! (I may or may not have been the unqualified soccer/football coach for a team called the Raiders - watch out haha!) My 10-year-old literally sat on my lap when he saw me (almost never happens)…and my 6-year-old daughter would not stop smiling and waving - it was amazing! :) In addition to this, there are a few key people (though the list is longer) that have absolutely inspired me personally and professionally to pursue this reality. Thank you for trusting us, hiring us, mentoring us, referring us, showing kindness and encouragement AND believing in the future we are building together for work, our families and communities! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7071845332946432000/ Are you part of a on-going Mastermind or Round Table? I did not understand this concept a couple years back, but have gotten so much out of joining these and hosting them that I am now a fan! It is incredible to join others with shared passions in deep discussion on growth-minded topics that bring you new ideas, solutions to problems, helpful information, meaningful connections and even amazing new friends! We are planning out the topics for our Fall sessions! We would love any input on hot topics of interest in the market place (we have some great ideas but thought it would be fun to put it out there to a wider audience). For anyone that shares a topic you would like to know more about, solve a problem you are facing and would like to discuss further in the HR/People & Culture/Career Development space/etc., we would love to hear it! What do you think would be most impactful? To show our sincere appreciation for any recommendations, we are happy to send a free US compensation analysis for any job title requested. Thanks in advance! :) #growth #peopleandculture #careerdevelopment #roundtable #mastermind #mastermindgroup #smartpeople #hr #hrconsulting #connections #problemsolving #leadership  Business Spotlight! LeggUP Inc. Talent Insurance is a professional coaching and people development platform offered as an employee benefit. With access to their large network of certified coaches, science-backed assessments, hyper-relevant coaching topics, and people analytics, LeggUP Inc. helps organizations of all sizes effectively develop their leaders or managers, protect the wellbeing of their organization, and reduce turnover. We can't thank the LeggUP Inc. team enough for investing in our HIHR Team and providing amazing development initiatives that complement our services and resources so well! We are grateful to leverage this awesome coaching and training platform for ourselves and our clients! www.leggup.com  |
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