The HR Kaleidoscope

Thirty-five years ago today, I walked into the lobby of Accenture in West Hartford, Connecticut, to begin my first day as an HR Coordinator. I was naïve but curious. Wildly ambitious, but still very much in need of coaching and guidance. And I was completely seduced by all the shiny things a budding career could offer, especially at a company like Accenture: world-class leaders, tools, technology, processes, and opportunities.

I was firmly in the honeymoon phase of my HR career. And, in many ways, the joy and excitement I felt that first day have stayed with me all these years.

Don't get me wrong. There have been plenty of days that brought heartbreak and disappointment, days when I questioned my career choice and the path I had taken. After all, HR is centered on perhaps the most complex and unpredictable part of any organization: people.

But when you view your career as a calling, it hits differently.

I've long said that I felt called to HR and that you can't spell "heart" without HR. Beyond the policies, procedures, and protocols lies the deep humanity of this work. That is the part of HR I fell in love with, and the part that has kept me here for 35 years.

I've had the privilege of sitting with employees as they've shared incredible personal news, celebrated promotions and career milestones, or simply needed encouragement during a difficult season. I've had the opportunity to coach leaders through challenging circumstances and experience the satisfaction of watching something we taught or discussed come to life in the way someone leads, communicates, or shows up for their team.

And then there have been the harder moments. The conversations that hit hard but needed to happen. The unexpected life events. The devastating losses. The times when there wasn't a policy, process, or perfectly crafted sentence that could make things better, and the most important thing I could do was simply be present.

Whether those moments lifted my soul or broke my heart, it has been an extraordinary honor to walk alongside so many people through the intersection of work and life. I remain deeply grateful for every person who has trusted me enough to let me into those moments.

On September 9, 1991, I could never have known that walking through those doors would begin the career journey of a lifetime.

Thirty-five years later, I see it as a beautiful kaleidoscope of experiences. With every turn, something has shifted. The people have changed. The workplaces have changed. HR itself has changed tremendously. And so have I. Yet somehow, with every turn, the picture has become richer, more colorful and more meaningful.

If I could say one thing to that young HR Coordinator walking into Accenture all those years ago, it would be this: The shiny things will catch your eye, but the people will capture your heart.

Thirty-five years later, they still do.

What an incredible privilege it has been to make a career out of caring for people, helping organizations become better because of them, and being trusted with some of the most meaningful moments of their working lives.

I started this journey believing I had found a career.

What I discovered was a calling.

And 35 years later, I still feel incredibly blessed that it chose me.