Unless you live in an alternate universe - and maybe even if you do - you know someone who's crazy about the Harry Potter series. Maybe it's your son or daughter. Just as likely, the guy in the office next door spent two days in July secretly reading the sixth book in his office and called in "sick" on the day that the new movie came out. It's easy to get lost in a world where magic is possible - where you can cast a simple spell and conjure a Patronus to protect you from anything that might cause trouble for you.
Well, in the spirit of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, let's consider some tasks you might have to face as your company's HR champion and how you might handle them.
Finding your way through the maze
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry faces a gigantic maze filled with magical impediments to progress. The goal is to get past all of the obstacles to claim the prize located in the center of the maze. A typical day at the office, right? For Harry, one of the main obstacles he has to overcome is his fellow champions, who want to keep him from getting through the maze successfully.
For you, one of the main obstacles to reaching your goals can be your fellow "champions" - the co-workers who sometimes might seem to be doing their all to make your job more difficult (even though you know they aren't). Each champion comes with his own personality characteristics, which can get in the way of you achieving your goals (and them achieving theirs).
While the Triwizard champions on screen aren't really one-dimensional, each has at least one defining characteristic that can get in the way of his work - and yours.
Viktor Krum - arrogance. You've probably encountered a Viktor or two in the course of your career. He's arrogant, believing so much in his talents that he can't see his own shortcomings. These are the folks who think that they can do almost anything better than you and don't need any help at all. Often, there's a crisis of some sort when they discover that they aren't invincible - perhaps a missed deadline or lost project. Nothing short of complete failure can convince them that it's a good idea to ask for help.
What can you do to deal with the Viktor in your office? Make sure he's surrounded by a good team of co-workers and that he's forced to recognize their good qualities. If he can be convinced that others are just as valuable to the organization as he is, he'll be more likely to learn to collaborate without the need for a true disaster to open his eyes. Perhaps he can be assigned to a committee or two, if you've got them, so that he can't complete tasks without consulting others.
Fleur Delacour - lack of confidence. Fleur is Viktor's opposite here. Perhaps because of her great physical beauty, she's never learned to rely on her own abilities. As a result, she's too easily frightened and isn't able to complete the tasks she's assigned. She might appear standoffish, but it's probably because she's intimidated and doesn't want to reveal what she believes to be her own ineptitude.
Someone like Fleur needs to be coaxed out of her shell and forced to recognize her own talents. Give her assignments that allow her to succeed, and make sure her success is recognized. Eventually, she'll learn to trust herself and to stand on her own.
Cedric Diggory - playing to the crowd. This isn't necessarily Cedric's fault, but he's sometimes seen as taking actions that will ensure his continued popularity. In the extreme, it's a very dangerous trait. If you've got someone like that in your office, you need to know that he can't be trusted. He's competent and will get the job done, but he's also got his own popularity in mind. That means that if he thinks it will help him, he will repeat your confidences to others in an effort to retain the spotlight.
Keep your guard up and your confidential information well hidden. If you do discover that he's giving out confidential information, take action to prevent it. You've got a duty to maintain the confidentiality of your employees' personnel information, including personal information from their files, and you can't allow it to be made fodder for the gossip mill.
Navigating your own maze
Your job as an HR professional - or any supervisor, for that matter - is to recognize the characteristics in your champions that could prevent you from reaching your goals and to overcome them. Draw your team's good qualities out and find a way to work together for greater success. As Dumbledore would tell you, that's the most important of all of your tasks.
Copyright © 2005 M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC. This article is an excerpt from MAINE EMPLOYMENT LAW LETTER. Maine Employment Law Letter should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only. Anyone needing specific legal advice should consult an attorney.
