Accountability

THE GOOD WORKPLACE BLOG

Elizabeth Fuss Arnott, SPHR I have been working in Human Resources for 19 years. Since 2011, I have been certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). I have a BA in English and a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law from Tulane Law School. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband Luke. I write about HR, non-profits, the art of managing people and Neurodiversity in the workplace. I'm available for consulting remotely and in the Portland, OR area. Please email me at for more information.

Head over to workingwithaspergers.com, where Luke and I write about Autism in the workplace.

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

May 9, 2019
6 min

Speak Plainly: Addressing Problematic Behavior With Leaders

One of the challenges that often rests on the shoulders of HR professionals is having difficult conversations with executives and leaders. Although the tende...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

May 8, 2019
2 min

Whose Side Are You On, Anyway?

"Do you consider yourself to be on the employees' side or on the company's side?" From the way they asked the question, I already knew the answer they wanted...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 29, 2019
3 min

How to Build Trust and Earn Respect as an HR Leader

HR has a bad reputation. You can't trust HR. HR just does whatever the company wants. HR sets employees up for retaliation and failure by not handling compla...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 24, 2019
3 min

"Rules are rules!" And Other Dumb Rules

I heard it just the other day. "Rules are rules!" The statement was being used to terminate an employee who, because of difficult personal circumstances, had...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 22, 2019
2 min

Promoted Too Soon: How to Overcome Inexperience and Become a Great Manager

Defensive responses when you get feedback. Feeling overwhelmed. Frustration when your team asks you questions that you don't know the answers to. Feeling lik...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 18, 2019
2 min

Massages, Leggings and Potlucks

"It's employee appreciation day! Doctors, you will be having a catered lunch with some nice swag bags, because we appreciate you! Nurses, we also appreciat...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 12, 2019
3 min

Using Shared Values for Conflict Resolution

Rebekah worked intensely and fast. If you didn't do what she wanted fast enough, she'd usually just do it herself. She had been working in the organization f...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 5, 2019
2 min

The Battle Cry of "That's Not My Job!": When to Advance and When to Retreat

We've all heard it. "That's not my job!" And then we reply, "See that last line in your job description? The one that says 'other duties as assigned'? That ...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Apr 4, 2019
3 min

How to Receive Feedback from Your Staff

Remember that old movie where someone says something derogatory but true to the other person and the other person is horrified and screams: "How dare you! T...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Mar 31, 2019
2 min

Taking Responsibility: Why You Should Step Up in Times of Failure

It was not my fault. I wanted to shout it to all our employees. I wanted them to know that they could trust me and that I wasn't making mistakes. I mean, it ...

Elizabeth Arnott, SPHR

Jun 21, 2018
3 min

Showing Compassion with Accountability

I've read a lot of things in the last few days encouraging HR professionals and business executives to have compassion while dealing with employees. 100% - ...