Who in your company is an advocate for your employees? Why isn't it you?
As appears on Marketing Dive's website:
McDonald's and Popeyes both launched cause-marketing initiatives around the pandemic while battling internal challenges as their own workers and franchisees clash on issues related to the coronavirus.
(https://www.marketingdive.com/news/companies-behavior-mid-pandemic-influences-future-brand-loyalty-survey-fi/577849/)
Have you been busy developing and delivering new training to front-line employees who haven't been getting the corporate support or supplies they need...while ads run touting the good the organization is doing for others - but not for their own employees?
Not an easy situation to be in.
Do you view your role as a leader in your organization? Do you feel comfortable going to senior management as an advocate for the employees? Do you believe yourself in a unique position to voice the inconsistency between what is preached and the ability to execute on the company's ideals?
While sitting in on a presentation this morning, the idea occurred to me that Learning has an unprecedented opportunity to pivot its own role in the company. HR is, in reality, a role designed to protect the company, not the employees. Learning could step in as a true advocate for employees. We are involved on a macro-level to employees at all levels of the organization. We get in the trenches to try to understand in the flow of how jobs are done, blockages, and what it would take to do the job better. Most of the employees don't report to us, yet we have visibility and are accessible to most people throughout the company, at all levels.
Couldn't we be the advocates to bring issues and opportunities for continuous improvement to senior leaders? Are we ready to find our voice and be the change we want to see?
This is our time. Let's step forward and speak.
