I had the great pleasure and privilege of spending the day with a group of paramedics last week. Unsung heroes until something happens to us or those close to us, then we realise how important a contribution people like this make. I gave them a little praise, told them they were special, that being a paramedic must almost be a ‘calling’, rather than just a career choice. I noticed that one or two of them were looking a little emotional at this point, so asked them if they were used to being spoken to, and about, like this.
It turned out that they weren’t. These wonderful people, who save lives on a daily basis – they are not just ‘ambulance drivers’ – they are skilled medical professionals, never get any praise from their bosses, and because they are kind, caring and concerned people, they are taken advantage of by their employers. It turned out that they were all looking to leave the ambulance service they worked for and do something else with their talents.
I have become tired of hearing stories like this. For every story I hear about how employees are valued and appreciated, I hear two stories from the other side of the coin.
During the past year or so, I have found myself drawn to three groups of people. One is Link4Growth, a community of small businesses that wants to help people to work together for their common good. It’s not a networking group whose main objective is to make money for its owner. It costs next to nothing. Follow the Twitter hashtag #L4G to get involved with this group.
Another group that I have been drawn to become involved with is Engage for Success. This is a community of practitioners and so-called ‘Gurus’ (of which I am one!) who are trying to work together to drive the topic of employee engagement up the agenda of large, medium and small businesses. Follow the Twitter hashtag #e4s to see more.
Through Engage for Success, I have also joined a group called ConnectingHR. This group is made up of H.R. professionals to want to change things and make a difference. I’ve only been involved for a short time, but I haven’t yet met anyone I didn’t like, and I have had a number of conversations already that suggest many of those involved with Connecting HR are on my wavelength.
Could 2013 be the year that A Change Is Gonna Come?