Volunteering in a year of distance and anxiety
Beth is a Human Resources professional with extensive experience in talent planning, leadership and organizational development, operations, and diversity and inclusion.
I started volunteering with Empower Work over two years ago. As a Human Resources professional, I was looking for a way to give back and connect with others as I was facing major change in my own life. I was very fulfilled in my own career and was contemplating what “other” things I wanted to work towards for the future. As a parent, I was starting on the journey of becoming an “empty nester” and facing a future that would look very different from the one I currently knew. When I began volunteering, no one could have imagined how different that future would look with a global pandemic.
This past year has changed so many things in peoples’ lives and has created a shared cultural experience. In my daily work, saw first-hand the toll it was taking on everyone, yet each individual’s experience was so unique and different. Volunteering during this time reconfirmed for me why I originally became an Empower Work peer counselor. I wanted the opportunity to support individuals and grow my own skills to be a better leader. What I didn’t know is that it would make me a better parent, too.
A different hat than HR
In a year filled with distance and anxiety there has been no shortage of individuals seeking support for what they were experiencing. Our role as peer counselors allows us to connect and really listen. The magical part about connecting is helping someone work through their challenge by being present with them in the moment. Working in HR, I am always wearing two hats, what is best for the individual and what is best for the organization. Our goal is to marry the two sides, but that isn’t always possible. With Empower Work, I only have one hat, “what is best for the individual in this moment?” That is what being present is all about.
Expanding my skills for parenting
I realized as my children grew older, my role as parent had “shifted” from protector “in charge” to “being present”. Volunteering with Empower Work helped me make that transition. I learned the skills to support and be present in the moment like zooming out from the situation, taking a different perspective, and then examining the situation to determine the right course forward. I no longer feel the need to solve anyone’s challenges for them, I know that they are the experts in their own challenge and have it in them to find the right path. Not only did this help me make the shift for my children, but it also gave me new perspective in my role at work and allowed me to be more effective.
Empower Work has changed how I interact with others in both my personal life and workplace. I listen more deeply, always looking for the emotion and values behind what I am hearing. I now understand the power of my questions to use in guiding individuals to their ideal outcomes. And more importantly, I am a better mother and co-worker because of the opportunities I have had to volunteer with Empower Work.
If I could give anyone one challenge during this continued global pandemic: find a way to connect with others, you won’t regret the journey!
