Did you first fill the form?

As an HR professional and consultant, I have spent a while designing forms that employees need to fill in. Many would not fill them up. Initial irritation and frustration finally turned to insight. I tried to fill those forms myself and I said to myself, “these forms are terrible. How can anyone fill these up? 

I have since insisted that we first fill in the forms we design. As I think about this, a larger philosophical question comes to my mind. 

The world is today filled with people who are ready to ask others to do something that will benefit them; give advice; share tools and techniques, methods; self-improvement tips; prescriptions; training programs; coaching support; forward stuff that feels good; 10 ways to be happy; 7 rules for success and so on. In an Organisation context, we find it incongruent when the HR department’s engagement score is among the lowest or when the marketing function does not communicate enough and so on. 

I dare say, that it is an ethical responsibility on each of us who ask others to do something to be sure that what we are saying is coming from a place of first-hand experience; has been true for us. That would make us credible, congruent and empathetic. 

Yes, lets fill the form up first!