No more "Human Resources"
There has been a tectonic shift in the source of creative power, and it first came to light during the Covid shutdowns.
Today's technologies are built to empower the individual
The tools that support the manifestation of creativity and innovation have evolved to be accessible to anyone with a little imagination and self-motivation.
These tools made it possible for an entire population of creative workers and knowledge workers to work from home almost overnight, removing the veil of perceived dependency on physical structures (like offices and shared work space) and entrenched routines (like long, frustrating, unpaid commutes, or "9 to 5" work schedules) to keep the business running.
Empowered individuals are happier and more productive
Given the immediate increase in worker satisfaction and the correlating increase in their productivity when they could finally work according to their natural bio-rhythms, I continue to be mystified that Human Resources still exists as a concept and organization — it feels so stifling and limiting to me. It functions to see the needs of the organization first instead of the needs of the individual.
It reduces individuality — the essential ingredient and fuel for human creativity and contribution — to a transactional arrangement between the organization and the human "resource," shoehorning individuals into roles, responsibilities, and routines that are not natural to them or that do not take into account how the individual is uniquely built. In fact, it could actually be limiting their ability to access and realize their best ideas and most valuable contributions.
Who will be the first to flip the script?
Since I first discovered the world of Human Design, it became clear to me that whoever flips the script of Human Resources first is the one who will win the talent and also win the loyalty of every contributor in their organization.
Talent has moved so far beyond mere "cogs" in the corporate machine, and yet we still operate in top-down structures and hierarchies, when really we should be operating as nimble and temporary teams that come together to solve a problem, then dissolve and morph into a different team for the next problem or challenge.
From "Human Resources" to Individual Empowerment
My vision is that one day the department of Human Resources will be replaced by the department of Individual Empowerment where instead of hiring candidates to perform a limited set of skills, they are hired to express those skills in alignment with the whole of who they are, and that we create the conditions for their whole self to operate at their highest awareness and expression.
I get that this makes a lot of leaders uneasy, especially the ones who believe that leadership is about command and control. The department of Individual Empowerment inverts that dynamic. It puts the needs of the individual first, trusting that the whole of the individual is much more valuable than any single skill or part, and this feels akin to anarchy.
But to those leaders who firmly believe that leadership is about lifting others, helping them to cultivate and realize and express their unique gifts (not just the ones we hired them for), and creating the harmonic conditions for them to thrive in their uniqueness, they will be the undisputed magnets for talent in the future.
Simplify, simplify, simplify
There are really only three things that matter for organizations to achieve unrivaled success:
1. A shared Purpose that is resonant, timeless, universal, and actionable.
2. Individuals who are aligned to that purpose and supported in their unique design to make contributions to that Purpose.
3. A leader who is both skilled and devoted to creating the conditions that support the individuals in their organizational collective, empowering those individual to unlock their talents and realize their best contributions in service of the higher Purpose of the organization.
The only system that supports this shift from optimizing resources for the organization to optimizing resources for the individual is Human Design.
Human Design — a system of self knowledge and empowerment
Human Design is not just a system of self-knowledge or an assessment tool for categorizing type or talent — it is also a system and practice of moment-to-moment awareness and course-correction to align you to your highest expression through the use of your energy and decision-making.
Human Design recognizes that we're not all built the same. We each need different "nutrients" in our environment and teams to catalyze our creativity. We have different energy modes and rhythms. For example, I do my best thinking and writing between the hours of 2:00-6:00 in the morning. It would take me four times as long to write something half as good if I tried to do it in the afternoon. A typical office environment would never work for me.
Human Design is a tool for self-empowerment and realization, which includes who we are, what we are, and what we want from this existence — including what we experience and become through our vocations, what we need from our colleagues, and what supports us in our work spaces. Hint: an on-site meditation room isn't the one-size-fits-all solution you think it is.
The problem isn't the person — it's the system that's not built for them
That "lazy" team-mate? They might be a Projector who works in bursts, yet you're judging them based on their "busyness." That "anti-social" contributor? They might have a single definition and have a lot of Integration channels of self-empowerment that require separation from others to do their best work. That "meek" team-mate? They might have a lot of individuality and a defined spleen that guides them to wait for the right moment where they feel safe to share their ideas or be seen.
There are so many layers of uniqueness in each of us — activated at birth — and when we become aware of how to operate our unique design using our individual operating manual from Human Design, there is no limit to what we can create together.
The ultimate win
When each of us is living and working according to our energy type, strategy, and authority, we naturally align to the highest expression of our gifts and talent, making this choice and path accessible and essential for others to do the same.
After all, why else are we here?
Note: Every Human Design chart is more than the sum of its parts, and every element of a chart affects — and is affected by — every other element. Human Design is a deeply layered, complex system that integrates eastern and western traditions and wisdom. When I share discrete elements of a chart, I am simply sharing glimpses into the mechanics of Human Design (and the Gene Keys) to show others how they, too, can discern practical insights from their own charts into their uniqueness and the patterns of thought, behavior, conditioning, emotions, and psychology that keep them from achieving their highest potential or living their best life.
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