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Many years ago I headed HR in a company of a few hundred employees. It was a small bank with about a dozen branches. We had 4 people in HR/Payroll: one recruiter, a payroll/general clerk, the typical mother hen who looked out for and took care of employee problems and me. This was in the 1970s before computers came to HR.
During my time there despite the fact that we had a myriad of daily problems we were able to help grow the company in several ways. The first thing I did was design and deliver a basic supervision training program. This very quickly cut down on employee complaints and questions. Rule #1: an organization is only as efficient as its first line supervisors. The military proved that with sergeants and chief petty officers.
Second, I helped the executives think through the strategic issues they were facing; i.e., competition, growth opportunities, customer needs. I had little banking experience but I did know something about how to ask good questions and think analytically and logically rather than emotionally. Rule #2: senior management is a lonely, often threatening and stressful job. It needs supportive friends, not administrators.
Finally, I opened up communications to the employees with a newsletter. It featured short stories on key executives and highlighted employee successes. It also was a platform for sending clear, unfiltered messages to the employees about a variety of organizational goals and initiatives. Rule #3: People can’t follow if they don’t know where the leader is going. Engagement rests on communication.
No matter how busy you are if you keep your priorities straight you can make a difference and survive the journey.
Dr Jac
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Dr. Jac Blog 
