en to stop HR future leader
of themonth
I started
out in
operational
management.a real appetite for HR
I gained
working on activities such
as employee relations,
training, employee
development, and
transformation projects.
The senior management
team supported and
facilitated my career
development and I
successfully managed to
move into HR. At our endof
year ceremony I was
Faisal Musa
Job title:
Senior HR business
partner
Organisation:
Saint-Gobain
awarded HR Employee of
the Year, which was a great moment
for me.
HR future leader Personal development
Name:
I was attracted to HR by the
intellectual challenge it provides.
Finding solutions to organisation-wide
challenges really engages me. Also no
two days are the same, and there is such
a variety of activity.
The profession needs to be closer
to its internal and external
customers, develop a real
understanding of the organisation, and
be able to contribute to commercial
decision-making.
The biggest issue on the horizon
for HR is having accurate data
to provide meaningful
insight. It’s also helping
organisations to
embrace and adapt to
the pace of change and
digitalisation, and
creating clear career
and development paths
for employees.
Keeping me busy
at the moment
is supporting
the digital
transformation of
Saint-Gobain UK and
Ireland – recruiting for
some key roles within
the digital and customer
functions, supporting the creation and
rollout of customer and employee value
propositions, and leading a number of
group transformation projects.
In five years’ time I’d like to
be leading a group HR function
within an ambitious and values-driven
organisation. I’d love to develop and lead
a high-performing team to support the
growth of a company by having an
engaging culture and engaged employees,
therefore contributing to the commercial
performance of the business.
The most rewarding bit of my job
is seeing the benefits of my
contributions. Whether it’s supporting
an employee returning to work from an
absence, recruiting for a key role, leading
a consultation process, or providing
some coaching to an employee facing a
challenging situation, I go home feeling
proud and fulfilled because I’m able to
make a difference. HR
Also, if you’re really serious about getting out of
this state you can begin a daily meditation practice.
My advice would be to start this in a super easy
accessible way and do it consistently for 10 days.
Here’s how:
1Set your alarm in the morning so you get up 15
minutes earlier than normal.
2Before you do anything fi nd somewhere
comfortable where you can sit for 10 minutes
– ideally with your back straight – without being
disturbed. You can sit on the fl oor or on a chair.
3Gently close your eyes and turn your attention to
your breath. Become aware of the rhythm.
4Take three longer breaths where you breathe in
for a count of four then out for a count of four,
then return to your normal rhythm.
5Just sit in stillness and aim to clear your mind.
This can feel quite hard when you’re just getting
started and you might fi nd that thoughts keep
popping into your head. If that happens notice
them and then let them pass. It can sometimes
help to think of them as boats passing on a
river; you’re aware of them but you don’t stay
with them. Gently bring your focus back to your
breath each time you feel distracted.
6When you’re just getting started limit these fi rst
meditation sessions to 10 minutes. You can
always extend this later as you develop
your practice.
This is a simple way to get started and well worth
trying if you don’t currently meditate. Try it consistently
for 10 days and see what impact it has for you. If you
get stuck or need some help just let me know.
Deep breath… you can do this.
Karen Beaven is founder of the HR Entrepreneurs
Network and an IVF and fertility coach. Visit
www.karenbeaven.com and www.ivfcoach.co.uk
hrmagazine.co.uk November 2019 HR 57
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