The dictionary defines the word retreat as movement back, withdrawal from a position, and a period of quiet, a place where people go for rest and privacy, a safe place.  Most of my experiences of retreat were about withdrawing from the fast paced world and taking time to renew myself from the inside out.  Business today often uses the word to refer to going off-site for strategic planning and team building.

I recently had the opportunity to guide a retreat day with HR Professionals at the Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, Maryland. The title of the retreat, “Being the Human in Human Resources,” was specifically designed for the HR Professional.  Some who attended were surprised that it wasn’t a seminar even though the program was advertised as brief inspiring presentations, conversations, and quiet time to revitalize you for the challenges that lie ahead.  I suppose it goes back to the business application to the word retreat.

My more than 20 years in the profession has underscored how critical this position is to an organization and often how under appreciated.  No one day is the same.  What can seem like a start to a quiet day turns out to have one crisis after another.  The HR professional is truly the resource, the “go to” person for advice, complaints, assistance, and the list goes on.

In my preparations for this retreat day, I came across a simple quote by Susan McHenry.  She states:  “Work when there is work to do.  Rest when you are tired.  One thing done in peace will most likely be better than ten things done in panic…I am not a hero if I deny myself rest; I am only tired.”  The purpose of this retreat was to give the HR Professional an opportunity to get out of the fast lane for the day and focus on them.

Today’s recession has placed increased demands on workers.  Morale declines as workers face continuous changes in their work environments.  Layoffs have strained not only work relationships but also family and personal relationships.  Fear and worry consumes the heart and mind and it is impossible to shake off those concerns when you get into work.  Here enters the HR Professional with a sensitive awareness of the impact of an environment of uncertainty on the workforce.

I have a special affection for the HR profession.  It adds great value to an organization when both the science and the art of the profession are meshed thus developing individuals and businesses that are creative, integrated and productive.  That is why I believe it is necessary to get away and retreat – to look at things from the inside out.

I decided to guide another HR Retreat.  The date has not yet been scheduled.  Periodically check out my website for the announcement.

Susan Boyle, her name is all over the news and her melodic voice has entered our hearts and homes.  This morning, I read an article from the BBC news about her interview on the Larry King Live Show.  There are a few statements made by the judges of “Britain Has Talent,” as well as a writer for a celebrity magazine quoted in the article, that I believe have a far reaching significance beyond the focus of Susan Boyle.

One of the judges, Amanda Holden, “said they had been ‘very cynical’, and that the performance was the ‘biggest wake-up call ever.’”  What is this biggest wake-up call?  I am assuming that Holden might mean “you don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Another judge, Piers Morgan, said on the Larry King Show, “I’m sorry because we did not give you anything like the respect we should have done when you first came out,” he told her. Referring to her appearance, he said: “We thought you were going to be a bit of a joke act, to be honest with you.” There is a lesson here for all of us.  What are the biases we have toward appearance and how does it impact our day to day interactions with people?

When I was working for a company that took school pictures, I remember so distinctly the challenges and opportunities faced in recruiting during our busy season.  I would have to recruit about 200 workers for a three to four month employment period for positions as photographers, clerks, customer service representatives and lab workers.  I would recruit from agencies whose mission was to find work for the disadvantaged worker.   One day a woman came into my office and asked me if I would consider interviewing her sister.  Then she went on to say that her sister had some medical issues which affected her physical appearance.  This caused her sister to be rejected time and time again by potential employers.  Her sister was smart and wanted a part-time job.

Well, the day came and Peggy (not her real name) entered my office supported by her sister and mother.  Her mother was very protective, and her sister was eager to have Peggy enter into a new experience.  Peggy was small, and frail with facial features of bulging eyes set in an enlarged head.  I had a flashback of “ET”.  Through the course of the interview, I was convinced that this woman could do the job.  I was prepared to hire her on the spot however; a colleague who would supervise her had to concur.  My colleague and I were in agreement and Peggy was hired; resulting in a wonderful work relationship. Peggy worked for us for three years and while she was there she made a difference.  She had a fine eye for detail and was not afraid to speak her mind.  When she was there; the team was more productive.  Peggy had a way of bringing them together.

Susan Boyle’s story reminds me of Peggy and the many others that are not given the chance because of outward appearance.  I wonder how often, as managers and leaders, we have let good people slip through the cracks or have applied the “Pygmalion” effect and expected less.

In the same article that I referenced in my opening remarks, Lisa Schwarzbaum, writer for the US celebrity magazine, Entertainment Weekly, said, “The performance was a powerful reality check.”

She wrote: “In our pop-minded culture so slavishly obsessed with packaging – the right face, the right clothes, the right attitudes, the right Facebook posts – the unpackaged artistic power of the unstyled, un-hip, un-kissed Ms Boyle let me feel, for the duration of one blazing show stopping ballad, the meaning of human grace.  She pierced my defenses. She reordered the measure of beauty. And I had no idea until tears sprang how desperately I need that corrective.”

Thank you Susan Boyle and all other “Peggy’s” who take the bold step to follow their hearts’ passion and courageously say through their actions, “I have something to offer.  Give me the chance.”  And to those of us who are touched by Susan Boyle and Peggy, I ask you to continue telling their story and keep it alive.

This past week I had the incredible opportunity to hear Dr. Jean Houston and Ms. Connie Buffalo speak on the topic of “Leadership and the Labyrinth of Change.”  Both of these women come from a rich background of experience.  Dr. Houston is an author, scholar, and founder of a school of human development that explores the many dimensions of human potential.   She worked with Mrs. Clinton and helped write the book It Takes A Village to Raise A Child.  Dr. Houston has worked with President and Mrs. Carter, the Dalai Lama, and as a high school student, she worked closely with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on developing strategies to introduce international awareness and United Nations work to young people.

Ms. Connie Buffalo teaches Ojibway culture nationally and internationally.  She possesses a unique background in National and International security, having designed chemical and biological warfare decontamination systems for governments around the world.  This experience gives Ms. Buffalo a special and expansive perspective on the culture changes taking place today.

As I listened and observed these two brilliant women I was caught up in the simplicity and depth of how they presented themselves as well as their message.  Neither one flaunted or spoke of her experience as prestigious; rather, their message came from a space of deep humility and respect.  They were telling a story with wonderful lessons learned.  What I have heard from their rich experience is what I want to share with you.

• What will we harvest from what we have sown in ignorance is much different from that which we sow in knowledge.
• Who we are is much more than compared to what we think we are. We are a treasure house.
• How do we gather the capacities of those we interact with?
• We hide our deepest selves to look acceptable. Can we allow ourselves and others the fullness of whom and what we are?
• We have become addicted to our separations. What are the separations that hold you back from being your authentic self?
• Carry a deep reverence and sense of purpose in the world.

And while these statements are taken out of context; I believe that in and of themselves they provide for us meaningful reflection on how our leadership presence can create incredible change that will harvest the human potential.

Last summer I took the bold step and rode the white water rapids at the ASCI Sporting Center at Deep Creek Lake. This is a designed course that is also used for Olympic training and competitions. Although I’m not one for high speed, steep drops, and possible overturns, something inside of me kept saying, “Do it.”

Since I am not a “spur of the moment” person; I had to prep myself for the experience. I went a few times to observe and found each time that I got caught up in the excitement. As I stood on the rocky ledge, I heard laughter, screams, and watched (with my HR/OD eyes) teamwork in action. The professional guides, as they were shouting out commands; created an experience that resulted in fun, and for others success and personal accomplishment. This atmosphere allowed individuals to face fears with a sense of pride and ownership as well as having a good time. What incredible personal learning!

The day came to ride the rapids. A friend and HR colleague, Susan, and I went for our training session. We met our guide Bam Bam. He was tall, muscular, and looked quite rugged. Susan and I looked at each other and commented, “With a name like that we can’t go wrong!” Bam Bam made sure that our gear was on correctly and went through various scenarios of what we will experience. We had a brief simulation of how to row and the commands that he would use. Then we were on our way. The raft was mechanically lifted to the course. And there was the first drop. My first thought, “Am I crazy?” The perception of the drop and force of the rapid is quite different standing on a shore line!

As the raft moved along the rapids, initially I reacted by tensing my body – a natural response to the unknown. Soon I found my body becoming more in rhythm with the bumps, swirls, and drops. I was going “with the flow” so to speak; absorbing the experience, not controlling it, and yet being mindful of what I needed to do to be safe and a collaborative member of the team. I walked away from the experience with a deep sense of pride. Pride not only in the accomplishment but pride in my decision to do it.

Life and work are like riding the rapids. Each day has its own course. One occurrence leads to the next. For some we are prepared and for others it’s like being caught in the spin of turbulent water. We get caught by surprise.

What did I learn from this experience? I learned that life often invites me to step out of my comfort zone to new experiences. Experiences, which do not come with instructions and learning objectives; but with deeper questions. Questions that invite me to pause and reflect on lessons learned. Questions that call me to observe how I ride the daily rapids of my life experience. Questions that encourage me to make an offer of my gifts and talents to others. Questions that help me to reflect on how I invite others to ride the rapids. What are the questions you ask yourself as you ride the rapids? Share them. We can learn from each other.