Episode 28

April 19, 2021

by Melanie Reed

So many of us are learning how to do our jobs in a new way right now. Like me, you may be working from home and doing what you normally do face to face in a virtual format. You may be in a situation where your work routines and requirements for health and safety are also changing constantly. And some of you may be starting a brand new role and are truly a beginner; in the organization, your specific role and your HR career.

This might feel overwhelming and frankly a little daunting. You might feel like you should know more or be able to “hit the ground running”, but before you start putting a ton of pressure on yourself listen to this episode. Here I share some of the benefits of being in this beginner’s space that you can leverage and lean into at this exciting place in your career.

Because believe it or not, being a beginner and adopting a beginner’s mindset can have huge benefits throughout your career, regardless of how much experience or knowledge you have.

Here is a summary of four benefits to being a beginner:

You have a fresh perspective on everything
You have the freedom to make mistakes and less fear
You are energized and excited by the experience which results in more creativity
You are better at building relationships

Here is a summary of the episode:

[03:39] - I begin this episode with an experience that has me becoming a beginner again and what I am learning from it.
[07:45] - I introduce the four benefits of being a beginner.
[08:37] - I introduce beginner's mindset as identified by Shunryu Suzuki in his book, "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind"
[10:47] - A fresh perspective on everything creates opportunities to offer suggestions based on your own life and work experiences. You are not hampered by "how things have always been done."
[13:46] - If you are more established in your role, you can challenge your own thinking and benefit from the beginner's mindset.
[14:45] - The freedom to make mistakes with less fear is another benefit of being a beginner. People tend to be more forgiving when you are learning, so its a chance to try new things and start fresh.
[16:19] - The third benefit of being a beginner is that starting something new is energizing, fund and exciting. Embrace this time as it fuels your creativity.
[18:52] - The final benefit is that you are better at building relationships when you're new. You tend to ask more questions in new relationships and share more about yourself. When you are a new HR professional you are more inclined to be curious about the people you work with and this is an important skill and trust building exercise.

Here are helpful links to resources and other episodes that will guide you as you start a new HR role:

If you are feeling extra generous and want to send some love my way, I would be so very grateful for a review and a rating on Apple Podcasts or a recommendation on LinkedIn. And if you haven't yet, don't forget to subscribe to The HR Mentor so you never miss an episode on the following platforms:

If you love this episode (or any of the others) feel free to leave a like, comment or rating where you are listening. Chances are, I will read your comment on a future show!