I recently added the book, Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders, to our Epic Books roll. A friend recommended the book to me and I thought you'd enjoy it too.
Click on the book image above to get more detail on the book from Amazon.
The following is an interview I conducted with Carol Morrison of i4cp on the future of HR. A very compelling conversation we had.
Carol
Morrison is a Senior Research Analyst. She has been with i4cp for eight years,
researching and writing about the talent, strategy, and leadership issues that
directly affect organizational performance. In addition, Carol has authored
articles for Talent Management Magazine,
Chief Learning Officer, HRPS Journal, Human Resource Executive, and other
publications.
I’ve heard for some years that HR
professionals desire a role that makes them more of a partner in the business
enterprise. Is this desire becoming a reality? Are they moving the needle?
You’re absolutely right. This has been – and continues to
be – an evolution for HR and the business partner role. i4cp’s interviews with
CHROs and other top HR and business leaders confirm that many are shifting
their HR functions toward greater efficiency in handling the transactional and
administrative duties typically associated with HR. Technology is helping to
enable that transition.
In turn, greater efficiency affords HR professionals more
time to focus on the value they can provide to the business by helping to
identify issues that impede productivity, by uncovering potential opportunities,
and in working with business leaders to better leverage the contributions of
the workforce. As i4cp’s recent study, The
Future of HR: The Transition to Performance Advisor, underscores, the HR
professional’s role is all about driving organizational performance and that’s
unfolding in more companies today.
What traits/strengths should the HR
professional of tomorrow possess?
Exploring competencies that the future
HR professional will need is one of the core aspects of the i4cp study.
Certainly, keen business savvy is the starting point for a business partner who
can be a trusted and credible advisor to business leaders. It’s more than an
understanding of basic financial statements and business models. It’s in-depth
business acumen, along with such competencies as strategic thinking, the
ability to develop and execute strategy, a strong sense of ethics,
organizational design skills, comprehension of metrics and analytics, decision-making
capabilities, and an understanding of technologies and information systems.
CHROs with whom we spoke told i4cp
that HR performance advisors need to know how to ask the right questions to get
at the issues important to the business. They need courage to speak up when
it’s important to question the status quo, and the emotional intelligence that
enables them to effectively function in volatile situations and to serve as
confidantes when business leaders need reliable counsel.
How will the HR function stay relevant
in the next 10 years?
By contributing those competencies
just described. As long as organizations employ workforces, HR will be not only
relevant, but crucial. Human capital generally represents an organization’s
greatest investment and its greatest asset. If you are a leader who believes
that employees and their contributions are key elements that drive innovation,
differentiation, and competitive advantage, then there’s an important place in
your organization for HR professionals who can help you optimize performance by
ensuring that your workforce is appropriately trained, motivated, and deployed
to execute your business strategies.
In some ways, HR is exploring the last
frontier that holds promise for truly affecting business performance. The
economic challenges of recent years have sharpened leaders’ abilities to cut
costs, streamline processes, and wring all they can from tangible
organizational assets. There is tremendous power in the intangibles that
employees bring: discretionary effort, creativity, tenacity, wide-ranging talents,
and the desire to excel – to name just a few. HR is the integral link in the
performance chain – the force for uncovering and developing that human capital
potential.
On the whole, do most HR professionals
understand the challenges ahead within the world of work?
Yes – certainly as well as any of us
can understand the challenges within our volatile business environment. HR
professionals see the work world’s issues reflected in the faces of the
employees and managers they serve every day. So long as HR professionals – and
those involved in every other business discipline – remain curious, eager to
learn, and engaged in moving their organizations ahead, they’ll rise to the
challenges that come their way.
In fact, HR already may be ahead of
the curve. HR professionals often are intimately involved in organizational
change initiatives. Leading the way for change and helping employees and
leaders, alike, adjust to it has afforded HR professionals years of
opportunities to develop the agility and resilience to meet even unanticipated
circumstances with solid skills and resolve.
In addition, the HR leaders who shared
their views with i4cp made clear their investment in providing their promising
talent with unprecedented development options. Often, these involve stretch
assignments, job rotations, and specialized training that extends far beyond
the boundaries of HR. That means HR professionals are learning about
operations, finance, marketing, and other business functions, along with the
challenges they face. They return to HR with expanded networks that cross
functional lines and with a deeper understanding of the issues challenging employees
and managers organization-wide.
How can entrepreneurs, who are
building organizations, include HR in the vision and execution of business
strategy?
By doing just that – including them at the top level from the
outset. Savvy executives know that HR leaders are valuable members of teams
charged with developing business strategy. Leaving human capital considerations
out of strategy formulation is an ill-informed approach that seriously
jeopardizes execution. You wouldn’t leave out budget considerations when
planning new business objectives. Nor would you ignore the technologies or
equipment you’d need to accomplish your desired ends. Employees and their
skills are an equally vital element. Strategies require execution, and that
falls to managers and employees. In many companies, carefully crafted plans
fail because leaders leave human capital considerations out of the strategy
mix.
When i4cp researchers interviewed
Larry Myers, SVP of HR at T-Mobile, he observed that “companies that understand
the impact that sophisticated, top-quality HR organizations and professionals
can have, automatically gain strategic and business advantage. Their executive
teams would not think of making a step strategically without involving HR.”
Successful entrepreneurs understand
that ideas, resources, technologies, processes and people must be deftly melded in order to bring business goals to
fruition. They include HR leaders in developing
strategies to ensure that they’ve addressed all the elements necessary to
capably executing those strategies.
It took me some time (probably more than I care to admit) to realize that to move things you must have need and demand, in-order to create a successful venture that changes the world. I would add scarcity too.
I know n America there is no shortage of life coaches, leadership gurus, management consultants, and the like. The question remains; has the needle moved? Is there evidence of strong ROI? The measurements and data tell a story. This article is one vivid example.
We'd be wiser to put our money somewhere else or change the machine. I write all of this knowing I am a part of the many. The many who have a sign on the door saying "open for business." My reform has begun.
The problem is we've come to this very dangerous place where many individuals and organizations say they need help/direction, but don't have the will to have the demand that produces change. Our government's treatment of our debt crisis is an appropriate portrait. Most politicians would say we have a debt problem, but haven't moved to a place of demand to fix it. Sadly, I fear we've come to the point of no return. I hope I'm wrong.
The reality is the same for those in business to help people move to breakthrough. An entrepreneur may have a thriving practice with many clients, but if the clients are circling the airport, it doesn't mean you have value. It just means your getting paid and they're circling the airport. And getting paid is sometimes the problem. Money often likes things to say just as they are. I tell every client that if we don't see change, they need to fire me.
Sticking yourself inside of the arena of change is dangerous, and most do not like danger. That's one reason the status quo is so appealing. Are you willing to ask yourself if the needle is moving, if change is occurring? Not change where you just move the furniture around, but where you go deep and examine everything to the foundation.
And you thought the big part was building a career.
The choices we make, make us. Ah, we've heard that before.
Seems to me, there is a great gap between what we understand about choices and what they result in. We should be more reflective. Think it through and weigh the options. I'm sure wise men and scholars from long ago would be laughing at me writing that, but alas here we are.
Let's face it, we live in a very arrogant age, while many long for humility. I don't know if there's a way back. Well, I do, but I'm not sure if the vast are willing to make the trip. They're like the gambler who says to himself the next wager is worth losing it all.
Do you need to turn around?
The choices we make do matter.
I wrote the following post almost 5 years ago. In some ways timeless. I'm convinced everyday that I don't "have time." A great sadness that many live everyday thinking they do.
I'm all for finishing strong/well. However, the myth of your best years being found in some future day is insane. I say that due to the importance of the choices you make now and how they will determine those years-taking for granted that you'll see them. Forever now!
I can't think of a more fitting place than our career to illustrate how this type of logic reigns. It's subltle and deceptive all at the same time. If a leader doesn't see his or her life as a whole, then a incongruent outcome is almost always certain.
As leaders seek to navigate a career and a life, I would suggest the following:
See the below story from The Guardian/UK on Stephen King for more connection:
"The accident happened on June 19 1999. King was strolling alongside Route 5 near his home in Bangor and looking forward to seeing a film with his family later that evening. As he walked, a Dodge truck barreled towards him. It was driven by Bryan Smith, a drug user with multiple driving convictions. A Rottweiler called Bullet was loose in the truck and had jumped on to a seat where there was a cooler of hamburger meat Smith had bought for a barbecue. Smith became distracted by his dog, swerved across the highway and hit King. The writer managed to turn his head a little before impact and thus missed being struck by a steel support post on the truck that would probably have killed him.
King's head left a many-tentacled crack in the windscreen. He broke his right hip joint, four ribs and his right leg in nine places. His spine was damaged in eight places. "The accident gave me a real sense of mortality, a sense of hurry that I didn't have before. Not immediately, but about a year after the accident I was able to say: 'That guy nearly killed me.'" Smith died of an overdose 15 months later on September 21, King's birthday."
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
When I found my whole life, I began finding inspiration in places I didn't expect. I found inspiration in places that I had little time for in my hectic corporate days. By the way, I was afraid too. That always keeps you from what's best.
The following is a brief list of places I've found inspiration:
I found this article yesterday, which is a profile of Jack Dorsey. Jack is well-known for founding Twitter and Square. He's a good example of finding inspiration and being fearless in doing it. I hope you enjoy the piece as much as I did.
Thought about my dad today and what God takes away. Certainly that implies that something, or someone, was given. I see that now.
As I was processing, I asked myself why I would still be writing about him. It has been almost 4 years now. For all I know, you might even be thinking why. Your first inclination might be to look at me as a grieving son or someone that has unresolved issues. All may be true, but I also thought of you. At the risk of sounding redundant, much of what I write turns toward you. As it should be…by way of experience.
Are you in a place, in the living years, where you can't resolve the unresolved? Still fighting, still fighting back what you'd prefer to forget?
I guess I feel that my process of dealing with my dad's living and dying was for a purpose deeper than the loss of a human life. I know that I'm not alone. On more than one occasion I've had people write me to say they've been watching my journey. We live in a crowded world, so if Ed says he was watching, then I know it was for a good reason. I guess this post is for those that have never raised their hands.
My gut tells me some of you may be fighting an un-winnable war.
In the vast majority of my life with my dad I was entangled and by the time I became an adult I was too arrogant and angry to resolve it. I was warned, but I pressed on. My mistake. I eventually did make it right, but man it seems like it would have been sweeter to get there earlier. Could be revisionist history or a longing to have a chance for a "do-over." I'm ok, though, I'm still moving forward. He is pleased, I know.
Ok, what's the un-winnable war:
A post I wrote last year. Very important in our current climate today.
To say we live in an age of rapid change would be an understatement, so I'm calling all 21st century pioneers to step-in. For obvious reasons.
All of us have experienced some level of fundamental change in the last 10 years. That change may have left you hurt, vulnerable or invigorated…depending on your outlook and circumstances. I know many people who are waiting for things to "get better" or "return to normal." The rapid pace of life and the aforementioned change has left them looking back to a day that seemed better. They long for some place in the past that may have only been great in their heads. Regardless, it seemed to be better than the world that currently faces. I understand this and have had moments when I have longed as well.
So after some time of being at war with yourself and the world, perspective comes knocking. Do you answer?
I am convinced that we are living in the age of the pioneer. A time not unlike the 19th century America. A time where much was wild, unknown and adventurous. I'm sure many in those days were filled with mixed emotions and thoughts. There had to be the nay-sayers, critics and saboteurs. There certainly were men and women of courage.
The following are the reasons why we need pioneers-in work and life:
Calling All 21st Century Pioneers.
This infographic (click on it to get a full-sized view) tells a pretty compelling story. How the United States is doing regarding economic freedom really stands out to me. The well-being graphic/note was pretty powerful too.
As you know, economic freedom is a key to moving forward in your business and personal life.
