Law & Order: Special HR Unit

I held space today for a powerful realization that struck me as I was watching an episode of Law & Order. The show's iconic intro really encapsulates the essence of what we do in HR:

"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders."

Replace "criminal" with "corporate" and it hit me - this is HR in a nutshell! In the HR justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups:

The managers who prosecute the interpersonal offenses. And the HR representatives who investigate these vicious felonies. These are their stories. DUN DUN

As Head of People & Culture Cultivation, I often find myself wearing both the manager hat 🎩 (prosecuting performance crimes) and the HR fedora 🕵️‍♀️ (investigating feelings felonies). It's a delicate dance, but someone has to hold space for organizational justice.

Just yesterday, I had to put on my best Olivia Benson persona to investigate a suspected case of Chronic Negativity Syndrome in the marketing department. After some gentle but firm interrogation tactics (read: empathetic listening), the perpetrator confessed and we sentenced them to 3 months of intensive gratitude journaling. Justice served. 👩‍⚖️

But it's not all hardened criminals in the corporate justice system. Sometimes, a simple Miranda warning about the consequences of gossiping is enough to get a misguided teammate back on the path of psychological safety.

At the end of the day, we're all just trying to uphold the law & order of company culture. It's not easy work, but I wouldn my HR badge with pride each morning, ready to protect and serve our organization's authentic selves. 🚔🚨

So next time you're tempted to commit a microaggression or thought crime, remember: the HR cops are always watching. 👀 Cultivate wisely.