Today I want to share a story that’s a little bit unexpected—about how sometimes the most impactful moments in our lives come from things we weren’t particularly interested in at the time.
It’s all about being open to new ideas and finding opportunities when we least expect them.
I want to take you back to a time when I was working as a Benefits Analyst. I had many different responsibilities—one of which was setting up lunch n learns for employees.
These sessions were meant to provide valuable information, but I’ll be honest, not every topic excited me. One of those topics was about sleep apnea.
At the time, I wasn’t particularly invested in the subject. So I introduced the speaker, kicked off the lunch n learn and sat in the back of the room only half paying attention to what was being said.
Then one sentence the speaker said, made me sit straight up and pay attention.
Little did I know, that lunch n learn would end up being pivotal in my family’s life.
The Unexpected Impact of a HR Lunch n Learn
The speaker was a sleep apnea practitioner, and I remember sitting in the back of the room, hosting the session, but my mind was elsewhere. I was only half-listening to the presentation.
But then, something the speaker said caught my attention. She mentioned, “Kids shouldn’t snore.”
Now, that might sound like a small comment, but it hit me like a lightning bolt. You see, at the time, my daughter was 7 years old, and we had a running family joke.
We’d laugh that we could hear her snoring from the other side of the house, and it had become just another one of those little quirks we laughed off.
But hearing the speaker say, “Kids shouldn’t snore”, made me stop in my tracks.
Why I Chose to Listen to the HR Lunch n Learn Speaker
I wasn’t really invested in the lunch n learn before that moment, but suddenly, I had to know more.
After the session ended, I approached the speaker and asked her about it. She recommended that we have our daughter tested for sleep apnea.
Now, you might think, “That’s a big leap, Kristen. Why would you take that advice from a lunch n learn speaker?”
But the truth is, sometimes, information comes to you in the most unexpected ways, and it’s up to you to recognize when something could be important—whether it’s in your personal life or your career.
The Power of Being Open to the Unexpected
So, we scheduled a sleep study for my daughter. And sure enough, the results came back showing that she had moderately severe sleep apnea.
That moment—being open to the unexpected and asking the right questions—led us to the diagnosis. We went on to schedule surgery, and it ended up making a huge difference in her health and well-being.
A Lesson for HR Professionals
What’s incredible about this story is that I had no idea going into that lunch n learn how much it would impact my life. I thought I wasn’t interested.
I thought it didn’t apply to me. But by staying open, even when I wasn’t fully engaged, I ended up getting critical information that I never knew I needed.
This story is a perfect example of how, in our careers, we sometimes overlook opportunities because we don’t think they’re relevant to us.
As an HR professional or leader, you can fall into the trap of feeling like you already know everything, or that a certain topic doesn’t apply to your current role or situation.
Embracing Opportunities for Growth in Your HR Career
But here’s the thing: Every experience, every conversation, and every new piece of information has the potential to shape your growth.
It’s not about being “interested” in everything—it’s about staying curious, open, and willing to take something unexpected and use it to your advantage.
Elevate Your HR Leadership Journey
This can also apply to your leadership journey. You might be presented with a new opportunity or a challenge that doesn’t seem directly relevant to where you are right now.
Maybe you’re asked to participate in a project outside your comfort zone, or a colleague brings up a topic you don’t think is part of your job.
But what if—just like that lunch n learn—there’s something important in it that you didn’t expect? What if that seemingly irrelevant task or topic has the key to unlocking a new skill or idea that will be essential for your growth?
How to Grow by Staying Open and Curious
As HR leaders, we can sometimes focus too much on the technical aspects of our roles—the policies, the compliance, the procedures—and miss out on the more subtle, personal growth opportunities that can truly shape us.
Whether it’s listening to someone who has a perspective you’re not familiar with, or stepping into a situation that seems irrelevant to your current job, don’t discount it.
Stay open, stay curious, and ask questions. That’s how growth happens, even when you’re least expecting it.
So, my challenge for you this week is this: As you go through this week, think about where you can step outside your comfort zone, or where you can take a deeper dive into something that seems “unrelated” to your HR responsibilities.
What conversations are happening around you that might offer new insights? What small task could lead to big learning if you approach it with an open mind?
Remember: Leadership is a journey, not a destination. The more you embrace the unexpected, the more you’ll grow, and the more you’ll be able to bring your best, most authentic self to your leadership role.
