The People Side of Things

Leaving People Better Than You Found Them

I was reminded this past weekend of something about Benjamin Franklin and it’s been living in my head rent free ever since.

Every morning he would ask himself: “What good shall I do this day?”

And every evening he would ask himself: “What good have I done today?”

Now listen… Benny also invented bifocals, made contributions to the study of electricity and still had time to journal about his virtues. So, I’m not pretending I’m operating at that level of personal discipline.

But those two questions stuck with me. Mostly because they are so simple, almost disarmingly so. And while I am being honest, they are not the questions most of us start our day with. If you’re anything like me, you’re morning is starting with slightly less philosophical questions.

Where is my coffee? Why are there already so many emails? Did I agree to this meeting or was I just… added to it? What do I to get through today?

Instead, let me ask “what good can I do today?” And for me, that question almost always circles back to one of my largest goals – did I leave people a little better than I found them? Nothing too dramatic or life changing. Just… a little bit better.

The Work Is Always About People

From the outside, HR can look very procedural – there are policies, documentation, processes, and compliance.

And yes, those things absolutely matter. But underneath all of that is something human. It’s the people side of things.

Every employee is a whole person carrying things that we cannot see. They have ambitions, stress, family responsibilities, big dreams, hard seasons. And as HR, we are often lucky enough to get invited into those moments.

Sometimes when people are excited.

Sometimes when they are uncertain.

Sometimes when they are having one of the worst days of their career.

That’s not a small responsibility. Which is why I think so often about the idea of leaving people better than I found them.

Sometimes That Means Being a Guide

Sometimes the “good” that HR can do is helping someone to see a path forward when they feel stuck. Or helping a manager think more thoughtfully about how they support their team. Maybe it looks like helping someone navigate a difficult conversation they’ve been avoiding. Sometimes people just need someone to help them pause and think clearly.

And HR can be that steady voice in the room.

Sometimes It Means Being an Advocate

Other times it means advocating for someone who needs support. Making sure a voice gets heard in a room where it might otherwise get lost. Or helping leaders think more intentionally about culture, and opportunity. Sometimes the good we do isn’t loud or earth-shattering. It’s simply making sure people are treated with dignity and respect in the moments that matter.

That matters more than most people realize.

Sometimes It’s Even Simpler Than That

Sometimes this idea of ‘doing good’ is just about how you show up in small moments.

• Listening fully to understand rather than listening to respond
• Taking the extra minute to explain something so someone doesn’t leave confused
• Recognizing someone’s effort when it would have been easy to move on
• Giving someone reassurance when they’re doubting themselves

They are small things, but guess what? Small things accumulate.

The Question at the End of the Day

Franklin’s second question might be the one I think about the most.

What good have I done today?

Not what I finished (or didn’t), not how productive I looked. But who walked away from an interaction with me feeling a little better than before?

When that answer comes from work? That’s what fills my cup.

The Good That Continues at Home

For me, one of those moments often happens late at night making lunches for my kids. It’s nothing glamorous and it’s usually staying up to speed on what snack my kid hates (that he used to love last week). But the person who packed my lunches growing up isn’t here anymore. So, often, when I’m standing in the kitchen doing the same thing for my kids, I think about her doing it for me.

A quiet, repeated act of care.

It reminds me that the most meaningful good we do in our lives often looks very ordinary. But it matters. And as a parent, that hits hard. My kids are learning what matters by what I model, not just what I say. My kids are watching how I move through the world.

One thing I try to reinforce with them all. of. the. time. is very simple: It’s cool to be kind.

Kindness isn’t weakness. Kindness isn’t boring. It’s not something you only do when it’s convenient.

Kindness is strength.

It’s noticing someone sitting alone. It’s helping someone who’s struggling. It’s choosing empathy when it would be easier to move on.

If my kids grow up believing that leaving people better than you found them is just how you move through the world, no questions asked, I’ll consider that a pretty big parenting win.

Imagine If More Workplaces Worked This Way

We spend a lot of time talking about culture like it’s something that can be built through big initiatives. Culture is really built in small ways – leaders deciding to support their people, colleagues showing kindness, or HR professionals deciding to approach their work with empathy and intention.

It’s built by people choosing, over and over again, to leave others better than they found them. If more of us started our day with Franklin’s question, I think workplaces would feel very very very different.

It’s An Ongoing Experiment

I don’t get this right every day.

Some days the to-do list is too loud, or I am moving too fast, or I just wish I had handled something differently.

But I’m going to keep coming back to those two questions:

What good can I do today?

What good did I do today?

If the answer is that someone felt heard, supported, encouraged, or just a little more human because of an interaction we had?

Then that’s a pretty good day on the people side of things.

I’m here if you need me,

Emma