Proceed Until Apprehended
This is the title of the last chapter in When Millennials Take Over, and it is a quote that has been attributed to Florence Nightingale. We concluded the book with this title (they are actually the very last words in the book, too) because things are moving more quickly these days, and you won’t have time to wait until someone gives you permission to make the changes that we need to stay relevant in today’s work environment.
Proceed until apprehended. Start doing your human resources work differently. Start sharing more information across silo lines (even if they haven’t asked for it). Experiment. Learn. Get results. And along the way, if someone “apprehends” you with a “Hey, whoa, that’s not how we do things around here,” then you have the responsibility to explain to them what you’re doing, how it’s working, and why it will be better. But don’t wait for approval.
Maddie and I have been doing a LOT of webinars and speaking on the book (I head to India tomorrow to keynote the SHRM India HR Technology conference!), and one of the most common questions we’re getting is about how to put these ideas into practice when the senior managers don’t see things the same way.
Proceed until apprehended. And document your results, because that’s one thing that does seem to get the attention of senior managers. Results speak louder than logic.