The holiday season is the perfect time for embracing the importance of family and friends. It’s a time to reflect on what we’ve done in our life and maybe even how we’ve made a contribution to the greater good. This applies not only in our personal lives but also in our work life. As we prepare to welcome in a new year and make some new resolutions, why not resolve to reflect on and evaluate the one thing which truly matters most: Are we a good person, do we care about the welfare of others and do we treat others with the respect they deserve?

How can we honestly evaluate our goodness, our contributions in our work and personal life? We can start with an evaluation of ourselves by considering a few potential challenges…

Do we…

reserve our judgment of others?

treat others with respect and consideration?

act in a way that is considerate of others’ opinions?

honestly assess our weaknesses as well as our strengths?

try to understand the differences in others and embrace them?

So much of human nature is to judge others by our situation and standards. While that is our frame of reference, it is not appropriate or accurate to theirs. Just the other week, I met with someone about a new job. This person was very open about her life and situation, and shared with me some very private information. This woman was in an abusive situation and wanted desperately to escape it. It was easy for me to think … “I’m glad that’s not me … I’d never let myself be manipulated by anyone.” And suddenly, almost as quickly as those thoughts popped into my head, I realized that I was behaving judgmentally. I was clearly unable to comprehend not only what her situation was but how she came to be in it. It was cold and uncaring of me to think that I had any comprehension for her dilemma or situation.

The goal and intent of a good human resources (HR) philosophy and practices is to help us all remember and reflect on what is truly important in life: the welfare of others. HR is there to help good people make good decisions by understanding the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between emotion and intellect. 

Please, never forget that there is no weakness in compassion, there is only the cold reality of indifference.

This is the perfect time of year to remember and embrace that so important Golden Rule, while reflecting and evaluating our own characteristics—“Treat others the way in which you’d like to be treated.” To me, it really comes down to some very basic concepts for life and living… have compassion for your fellow (wo)man and endeavor to be fair, considerate and compassionate in all aspects of your life. Have a wonderful holiday season!

HR Question of the month: Please send your HR questions and concerns, or share your thoughts on your human resources challenges via email to the following address. Send input to vegaslinda89129@yahoo.com. Your comments, questions or concerns will help determine the direction for my next month’s column and earn you a copy of my book. Include your mailing address when sending your responses.