{"id":323,"date":"2020-11-03T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping.local\/?p=323"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:14:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T11:14:25","slug":"hr-failures-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/hr-failures-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"HR leaders share their biggest failure and what it taught them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHR leaders share their biggest failure and what it taught them\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tJessica Leyshon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

When we hear the word failure, we associate it with weakness and defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, when it comes to business, failure shouldn\u2019t be treated as a dirty word. Ultimately, if you fail, you learn from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we set out to ask HR and People experts what their biggest failure has been in their career and, more importantly, what it taught them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not making the business case properly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“Not making the business case properly”, says Ben Eubanks, Principal Analyst at\u00a0Lighthouse Research & Advisory<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest failure I can recall is around trying to gain internal buy-in for a piece of technology that we needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My team was overwhelmed with paperwork and ongoing tasks and could never quite catch up on things, so I scouted out a piece of technology to help automate one of the most painful processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I planned a demo and brought in our leadership team to view the system, but when it came down to the business case, I hadn\u2019t done my homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the system wasn\u2019t purchased, and we continued to struggle with the process for several more years because I hadn\u2019t done a thorough job of defining the value to the entire organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned that the comfort and workload of the HR team wasn\u2019t a sufficient reason to purchase new HR technology. I needed to dig deeper into the data and understand what it was costing us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I\u2019ve always prioritised building a comprehensive business case with an ROI (return on investment) analysis to highlight the value ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the decision hurt my pride, it gave me insights that I\u2019ve never forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t replace what you love with simply more stuff, <\/p>Perry Timms, Founder and Chief Energy Officer at People and Transformational HR<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t replace what you love with simply more stuff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was enjoying my job, creating my own work and serving the demands of my internal clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in a short space of time, I took on a whole load of responsibility, effectively managing a whole new team and then leading on a major project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I knew it, I wasn\u2019t enjoying the work anymore. I was just stacking on more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That led to quiet discord with the job, and feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control, poor decision-making, relationship fractures and doing bad things to take shortcuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was eventually signed off with stress-related illness. It was tough to face everything that had happened, and it was tough walking away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the soul-searching began and eventually the reinvention. Now I\u2019m loving what I do even more than I could\u2019ve dreamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lesson I learned was don\u2019t replace the love of something with simply more stuff to distract you. If you\u2019re not doing what you love, engineer your way towards what you really do love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being busy is no substitute for the quality and caliber of work or an excuse for not maintaining work relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t that I didn\u2019t love being busy, it was that I wasn\u2019t busy doing what I loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was the youngest person on my team and the least tenured with the company. I didn\u2019t do the best job of ingratiating myself with my peers. Suddenly, I was \u2018the boss\u2019.  <\/p>Jon Thurmond<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jon Thurmond, Regional Human Resources Manager at Team Fishel<\/a>, and host of the #HRSocialHour, learnt lessons about himself and others when he was promoted earlier in his career<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was the youngest person on my team and the least tenured with the company. I didn\u2019t do the best job of ingratiating myself with my peers. Suddenly, I was \u2018the boss\u2019.  In my first year, several people left the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I learned several things from that experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, not everyone comes to work for the same reason as you do. Secondly, while you may not be friends with everyone at work, it\u2019s better to be friendly than not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, when you\u2019re placed in a position of leadership, the perception of you changes. Be prepared to address that from the outset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve since made peace with several of those that I didn\u2019t work well with after apologising and acknowledging my shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it was an incredibly stressful challenge then, now I wouldn\u2019t trade that experience for anything as I learned a great deal about myself and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I let nerves get the better of me<\/p>Esther Wallington, HMRC\u2019<\/a>s Chief People Officer<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I let nerves get the better of me, explains Esther Wallington, HMRC\u2019<\/a>s Chief People Officer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had an important meeting where I had to influence a group of very senior colleagues with a niche interest in our work on engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting was very formal, and I knew what I was going to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had my notes, I\u2019d practiced and it was a good presentation to get them interested. I walked into the room and the formality of the setting overcame me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opened my mouth and, intending to say something light-hearted to ease the tension, out came a comment that was something I\u2019d heard on the way to the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comment took them by surprise, but not in a good way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I gave my presentation and answered questions perfectly, but I\u2019d lost personal credibility and with it, influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned a lot. It\u2019s important to find methods to stop nerves blocking your ability to judge the room and respond appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always mirror formality and, if it\u2019s less formal, I relax and smile but always stick to the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to embrace failure and learn from it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Failure isn\u2019t something to be ashamed of \u2013 it\u2019s part of the learning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you show your people that it\u2019s fine to fail? Here\u2019s our top tips on how to support managers and employees to embrace failures and learn from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Encourage accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We learn and innovate when we make mistakes. But only if there\u2019s a foundation of positive accountability and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make your organisation one where you trust your employees to innovate, take risks, and tell them it\u2019s fine to make mistakes as long as they own them, learn from them and make things better as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Lead with vulnerability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It can be difficult to admit defeat. However, shame will only compound the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When employees witness a leader taking accountability for mistakes in an open and transparent manner, even asking for feedback to improve their work, they build trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not easy. Leading with vulnerability requires courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Share best practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When we tear down the walls and start to share best practices between departments and people, we create better workplace practices and methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share your mistakes and successes so that others can learn from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone fails at some point \u2013 it\u2019s how you fail that\u2019s important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People naturally associate failure with negativity, whether that be shame or punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, it\u2019s only by trying new things, sometimes failing, and learning from them, that innovation and creativity can truly flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n

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