I love my job. One of the best parts of it is that it is largely self created. I join companies while they are still small, develop an understanding of where we are trying to go, and build the people strategy and infrastructure to enable that. It offers me creative freedom, and an opportunity to collaborate with all the teams in the organization.
However, there is one portion of my role that I never anticipated, that has taken up a more significant part of my day than any other task over the last 15+ years. I have become “Counselor Troi.”
For years, my Trekkie colleagues have teased me with this nickname, and I have had no clue if it was an insult or a compliment. For all my years in high tech, I have successfully avoid seeing a single episode of Star Trek. At first, it was purely because I had absolutely no interest in the show. Now it’s simply out of spite - the people I surround myself with are so floored I’ve never seen this classic show, I intentionally haven’t watched it just to mess with them. But it did leave me wondering, who the heck was this woman I keep getting compared to?
So I finally googled her. Ok. Dark hair, dark eyes. At least she doesn’t look like an alien, but apparently she’s half-human, half-Betazoid (whatever the hell that is.) The part I thought was interesting, however, is that she serves as the Enterprise’s counselor, and she has the ability to sense emotions. She too studied psychology. So far, pretty spot on. However, while I do share some of her empathy, I do not share her telepathic abilities or her love of chocolate.
So I get the comparison, sort of. To many of the fans of Star Trek, or to any employees of the companies I’ve worked at in the past several companies, I get the counselor reference. In my mind, at the very core of what I do, is helping people get to the heart of what is not working for them at work, and then enabling them to make that breakthrough to accomplish what they need to do to achieve it. For me, that’s the core difference between people strategy and human resources. ”HR” for me is very reactionary. It’s what companies have to have to employ people, pay them, keep them on, etc. ”People Strategy” is all about finding the best possible people that can deliver and align around your particular organization’s vision, and then keep them motivated and engaged as possible during their entire tenure. We want them to have the career of their lives while at your company, and for the company to achieve extraordinary results through their inspired people. Is that a tough thing to pull off? Absolutely. But for me, that’s what keeps it fun and interesting. And it involves an awful lot of “counseling.”
I spend an insane number of hours each week in my office, on the phone, on Skype, texting - whatever format works for people - to aid them with whatever challenge they are facing. And I do my best not to solve the problem for them, but rather give them the tools and/or perspective to solve it themselves.
As one of my colleagues pointed out the other day, I am known for my “brutal honesty.” I think that is fair. I am often the person who shares the tough feedback or gives you the reality check no one else will. But I do my best to do it in an empathetic way, and help people use the information in a way to move them forward. It’s a challenge, and sometimes exhausting. However, if it aids people in getting where they want to be, I feel like it is time incredibly well spent.
Deanna Troi might be the Enterprise ship’s counselor, but she’s a made up character who got a script to aid her in diagnoses and recommendations. In the real world of Christina’s People Strategy life, I make it up as I go along, crafting what makes sense for each person, one person at a time. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
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