The HR diagnostic

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So here’s a test for you…..

Think of an area of HR (it could be resourcing, talent development, compensation etc).

Argue why it adds value to the organisation.

Argue why YOU need to do it, not anyone else.

Define the value that is being added by doing it (qualitative and quantitative).

Then,

Argue why it slows the organisation down, makes things harder.

Argue why it could be better done by someone else.

Define the total cost of doing the activity (time and budget).

Compare the two.

What did you learn?

 

Language matters

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People at work will often tell me that, “words are important”. I agree, I think language is important and the power of it is underused in a work context. For some reason, the moment we enter the workplace we seem to lose all sense of the human vocabulary that we would normally use to interact with people and develop an entirely different language.

It sucks.

But that’s not really today’s point, I could write diatribe after diatribe on the stupidity of business speak – but neither you nor I have time. No, what really annoys me is the passive dominant language that people use;

“I know you’re on holiday, but” 

I know you’re on holiday, but my issue is more important than your relaxation time….

ICYMI

I am going to assert that whatever piece of nonsense I am propogating is actually something that you would want to read. You cannot possibly have chosen not to read it….

FYI

I think this information is important, I don’t give a shit what you think….

I could go on.

Next time you’re talking to someone, writing to someone, thinking of using any words for any purpose, try to think about the reader. Try for once not to write for yourself, think about yourself or your need. Think about the individual, what do they need, want, desire?

If what you’re writing is interesting, useful and helpful enough, the reader will come to you. And for the love of God. Please stop with the passive dominant phrases.

The myth of business experience

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There are few things that get more annoyed than people asserting that HR people need to have “business experience”. It has become one of those arguments that is too easily propagated, without any real challenge  – and when placed under scrutiny is easily shown to be wanting.

Firstly, I’m not sure what “the business” is. My instinct is that it refers to a profit or service centre, historically the heart of the organisation. But organisations are changing fast and there are functions that exist that didn’t exist five years ago and that often drive significant improvements in performance, are they the business too? The assertion is outdated and suggests an internal service model which is increasingly becoming obsolete in forward thinking organisations, where collaboration and expertise is key.

Second, it assumes that HR practitioners have no unique skills or experience and that they are simply applying  playbook in their organisational context. You hardly ever hear the same allegation levelled at finance or marketing professionals. Does a vet have to have been an animal in order to do their job? In fact, you could as easily argue that every CEO should have worked in HR. People are our most important asset….after all…..

Finally, it misses the real issue. HR practitioners don’t have to work in the business (whatever it is) to be curious about it. You don’t have to be something to understand it. Rather than aspiring for an outdated explanation of an issue, we need to refocus our efforts on the core operations of our organisations, understanding them and the role that people have in delivering success. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to improve, it just means we need to be intelligent about the improvement.

That’s how HR gets better, by being thoughtful, mindful and curious, not by aspiring to do someone else’s job.

It’s time to move on.

The four HR essentials

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You can read as many competency models as you like, but from my perspective there are four characteristics that really separate a high potential HR practitioner from the rest of the field.

Credibility, Commerciality, Context and Creativity.

Credibility is about your ability to build meaningful relationships, it is about interpersonal skills, stakeholder management, follow through and influence developed through action. It is about being able to place yourself in the position of the other person.

Commerciality is more than being able to read a P&L, it is about understanding the economic context, understanding demographic pressures, it is about understanding the levers of your individual business’ performance.

Context is about your complete understanding of the employee cycle, it is about your knowledge of how things fit together within the field of people management  and your ability to think systemically about these elements. It is about being able to explain, “why”.

Creativity is not about post it notes and marker pens, but your ability to create new and meaningful interventions, it is about being open minded about solutions and being relentless to discover better. It is about the constant desire to be more than average.

It really is that simple, these four things will set you apart, they’re the thing that every leader tells me they’re looking for and they’re built on the your personal development and intellectual capability. And whilst it is simple to explain, in the heat of the moment, in the muck and the bullets it can be hard to remember.

So if you want, feel free to borrow this.

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