I've learned there are two powerful and UNIQUE things about me that impact and propel my life. These are my communication style and my personal faith. 

I believe in the concept of bringing your whole self to work.  I desire every person we work with to have the joy and opportunity to do this. 

• This is authentic.  
• This is free.  
• This is inclusive.
• This is engaged.
• This is valued.
• This is our best self.

 
This is living your life as fully YOU, whether at work or home. 

No matter your background, personal preferences, faith beliefs, color, personality, gender, communication style, etc.....and every other thing that makes you, you; We all have unique gifts to bring to the table. We all will thrive and help others thrive when we live life in this way.... with kindness, honesty, understanding, support and love. 
 
Recently I've had the opportunity to be a guest on podcasts with some incredible leaders I respect. We are talking about topics I absolutely love and care deeply about...and I can't help but bring the energy 1000%! This is me being authentic, free, engaged, etc. 
 
About the Podcast:
 
This most recent podcast, Elevate I.T. Podcast, is with Christian and Lyneesha Johnson, amazing authors/business leaders/coaches/etc. 
 
I have worked with Christian closely as one of the senior leaders for an important HIHR LLC client for almost 2 years now. I think we spur each other on with our passion and energy. It just works!  He is a very dynamic and talented leader whom we can learn a lot from. He lives and leads with wisdom and a genuine love for people. When he speaks, people listen. I'm so happy to see Lyneesha and Christian continuing to share and make an impact!
 
This episode exists to support emerging leaders in attracting their DREAM Team! This is one of most important things we will ever do as leaders. I hope and pray it will be a blessing to those seeking to do this.
 
The last few years, I have really enjoyed letting my energy and faith fly high. I enjoyed creating a space where I believe others can do the same with their unique traits. 
 
I know when we show our authentic selves and real beliefs it can be scary. We open ourselves up for more criticism, discrimination, misunderstanding, being lumped with groups we may not agree with just from assumptions/association...and the list goes on. However, I have found - it is absolutely worth it!
 
My hope is that for myself and those in our community and beyond, we grow in love and not hate...healing and not pain, peace and not war...grow in understanding and not assumptions.  There is so much on my heart these days that I'm excited to share/connect with others about. There will be much more coming this year.
 
I know it's possible for a few people to make a big impact and improve many lives...even living as our authentic, imperfect selves.  Here's to 2024! 
 
For more awesome development content - follow along with my friends Christian and Lyneesha - I definitely will be!

Author: Erika Butler, CEO 

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:

• Low Performance
• Negative outlook or attitude
• Attendance challenges
• Burnout or exhaustion

 
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 [email protected].
#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