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Rubbish jokes aside, I often wonder when it became the rule that HR professionals had to have a sense of humour transplant. Admittedly, some of the people I’ve met in the profession have had some of the edgiest and darkest sense of humours you could ever come across. Of course, I’m not talking about cracking your best one liners in the middle of a collective grievance, or fist bumping as you walk into a disciplinary hearing, there is a time and place for everything. We are the people professionals and we shouldn’t be ashamed of that, we should be relatable, human and real.

How many examples do you hear each day of self disempowerment, the passive acceptance of organisational impotence, the wilful self-denial of choice? How many times do you think or act in away that assumes you have less influence than you actually know to be true? I don’t know if this is going to work, but I’m going to give it a go. In a time when our politics and our world is full of so few role models, where we see neither leadership of the people, nor for the people, we all need to do more.

You’ll be surprised at how many meetings I sit in where people (including myself) nod and opine without really understanding the detail. Don’t be afraid to ask as you learn, you’ll be amazed how much people will share. As you progress your career, you’ll encounter situations and people who make you want to scream. Similar to the confident ones, you’ll meet people who are brilliantly adept at being at the right place at the right time to claim success – often yours.

I looked with disgust at a news story last week that showed photos of a very successful UK business man, effectively pawing a young female employee. I’ve written before about power and the interface with inappropriate behaviour and actions. If HR wants to stand for something, how about standing for workplaces free of inappropriate behaviour, free of harassment and free of intimidation. That as a profession we would no longer work for, or in, organisations that failed to tackle underlying issues with harassment or constant inappropriate behaviour.