Foreword

Libby Sartain,^* Senior Professional in Human Resources
Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer
Yahoo! Inc.

* Libby Sartain is responsible for leading Yahoo! Inc.'s global human resources efforts as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Sartain was Vice President of People at Southwest Airlines, a leading employer of choice. Sartain served as chairperson of the Society for Human Resource Management and was named fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. She is the co-author with Martha Finney of HR from the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business (AMACOM, 2003).

A recent issue of Fast Company magazine had a picture of me next to a large headline that said "Act Normal." Anyone who knows me at all, upon reading that headline without reading the article ("She's Helping Yahoo! Act Normal"), would ask, "What does she know about acting normal?" The article was actually part of an entire feature on "The New Normal." It addressed, for the business world, the question of what do we do now—from dot-com boom to dot-com bust, to terrorism, to recession, to war, to whatever comes next? What do we need to know and do about competing, winning, and leading today? Is there any "normal" in these uncertain times? And I would ask, if we aren't quite sure what normal is, how do we know what is weird?

According to Roger McNamee, who coined the term, the new normal is a time of substantial possibilities if you are willing to play by the new rules for the long term. In the new normal it is more important to do things right than to succumb to the tyranny of urgency. High standards for leadership, recruiting, investing, and due diligence are reemerging. There is room for large companies to invest in new technologies and develop new products and for innovative upstarts to change the world. For leaders, there will be new emphasis on finding and keeping top talent, and the key to success will be driving change and improvement and getting things done on a daily basis.

John Putzier is an expert on weirdness in the workplace. He knows how weird behavior can lead to innovation. He and I are kindred spirits of sorts. We met while both serving as volunteer leaders for the Society of Human Resource Management during my years at Southwest Airlines before I took the bold step to move to the Silicon Valley to join Yahoo! Inc., right in the middle of the dot-com bust.

We share a common interest in what it takes to make a company a great place to work. I was in the enviable position of heading the people function for a company frequently named as one of the best companies to work for in America and was sharing with my peers what I thought made Southwest Airlines a great work environment. John headed his own organizational behavior consulting firm, FirStep, Inc. with a mission of ridding the world of jerks at work. (I am not sure he is finished with that yet.) But we share similar visions about work and its role in life, human resource management as a profession, and other management and business perspectives. We know that light-heartedness, humor, and irreverence about work and life can make both more meaningful and fun.

But don't be fooled! Our philosophies are no-nonsense, and support the business agenda of the organizations that employ us. We know that now is one of the most exciting times to be a corporate leader. We have the opportunity to demonstrate like never before the true value in wise corporate stewardship, linking profitable, strategically sound business decisions with honor, trust, and hope. Fun and passion at work are essential for success and fulfillment. But that is not just Human Resources' job! It is everyone's job, including yours!

One of John's key principles is that every business leader must be a human resource manager, and that business success is driven first by common sense. We know that the companies we support have many talented people, who are capable of extraordinary results and want to give their best at work, if they can get past their fears, trust their leaders, and develop a sense of personal mission that is compatible with their respective organizations. And it's through these dedicated workers that the cumulative impacts of passion, imagination, dedication, and results can be experienced throughout your company.

To unleash the extraordinary efforts of your workforce, you must first believe this to be possible. Then, you must make sure that your people have the resources, support, and freedom to meet the challenges—or seize the opportunities—when they present themselves.

As we move into the future, our relationship with our people reinvents itself over and over again. Organizations in this brave new world of work are going to be forced to rise to this challenge not only by external market forces but also internally by the people themselves. In recent years, our workforce has experienced a steep decline in any trust they had for corporate America; they have seen and felt first-hand the demise of any real job security and the loss of hope in the so-called new economy.

Understand that our best performers and high potentials have not left the scene. They have been highly involved looking for the next big idea, looking for new markets and opportunities. The most talented workers are even more desirable than ever before—they're equipped to be true partners in helping our companies succeed. We had better have high-quality opportunities to offer them in return. And, we had better allow them to be themselves in their own unique way (i.e., high-performing weirdos in the workplace) or they will go somewhere else, where they can excel at being weird.

Weirdos in the Workplace is a fun read, but it is wrapped around some serious messages, which is why I like it. After reading this book, you will look at talent in a different way. You will have a greater understanding of how and when to make the distinction between someone being different for the betterment of the greater good, or just for the sake of making waves. You will have a keen awareness of how adding value is essential to truly finding oneself in the world of work. You will understand the difference between inclusion and discrimination, and when it might just be OK to discriminate.

During my school years, my friends often called me a "weirdo" to my face. And I am sure some call me that, and other names, behind my back now. In any leadership role, not everyone will be president of your fan club, and some days it feels that even when you do everything you can to make things great, your motives may be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

What you do to drive change may seem weird, different, or even bizarre to others. Don't let that stop you. And don't get bogged down by the day-to-day-ness of this kind of work. Keep in mind that you are entrusted with the hopes, desires, and expectations on both the corporate level and by the many employees who expect you to do the right thing. Let that trust be your inspiration!

Now go enjoy Weirdos in the Workplace and hopefully you can be one too!