Back from Virginia Beach, it was a little chilly yesterday.  But walking in the sand during a drizzle is still better than walking in the snow on a sunny day.

Anyways…

For nearly twenty years I have talked about the importance of human resource as business experts.  Not experts about bricks and mortar,  not marketing or product development guru’s, but professionals that understand how to manage their company’s assets with feet.

For nearly twenty years I have coached h.r. folks on how to talk to their colleagues using Metrics that Matter, financial linkages to human resource initiatives that explain the bottom line impact of employee satisfaction, employee loyalty, and workforce engagement.

For nearly twenty years I have drawn the linkage between employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and bottom line results, whether looking at revenue per headcount, EBITDA, change in stock price over time, share of market, and share of wallet.

For nearly twenty years I have talked about the dual benefits of Deontology and Teleology;  “duty based ethics” that encourages you to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and doing the right things because they work.

For nearly twenty years… wow, that’s a lot of years.

Anyways…

So, I’m in the middle of speech season,  and I begin to hear whispers.

TV commentators are talking about the need for human resources to “get involved” with the situation.  Human resources is being called “important” on TV, the radio, and in the newspaper.  Problem solvers need to be involved.

OMG.  Finally.  After years and years, HR is finally getting its due, we’re now business people, ready to help pull companies out of their economic slump.  We are finally seen as a group that can help improve the cost and revenue side of the business.  We’re going to get a seat at the board table, maybe even near the middle where all the action is. Our colleagues will better understand our impact on turnover,

And then I heard it.

We get to help David Letterman in his current sex scandal.

Wonderful.  More clean-up of other people’s messes… so to speak.

It’s tough always being called on to be reactive.  Perhaps if we were allowed to be proactive, we could have counseled him to keep his Worldwide Pants up, and not down at his ankles.