Enable growth and minimise risk – what could be simpler?

Has HR a future? Are CEOs lying awake at night worrying about it? Are the folks in Marketing, IT and Finance worrying about the future of their respective professions? Or is it just us HR guys and gals who spend time on it. The answers, from my corner of the world are: Yes, No, I’ve seen no evidence of it and Yes.

Might well I trumpet that HR has a future, because I’m biased. I think that HR is one of hardest roles in any organisation. If it was easy, everyone would want to do it.

It’s hard because HR, when done well, is almost as broad a role of as that of a CEO. The really good Heads of HR lead their teams to appreciate and understand all aspects of an organisation, all the functions, and how they all fit together to ensure achievement of organisational goals. Just like a CEO should.

To me, really good HR reaches into all aspects of an organisation and has influence up and down and across. To do that, and do it well,  requires special capabilities, and at the core is the capability to ensure that any decision which impacts people either enables organisational growth or minimises risk or – and this is where the really great are separated from the pack – it does both, at the same time.

That’s why I think HR has a real future. Balancing the drive for growth against the ever present element of risk are the two main issues confronting organisations today, and any function which can have impact on one or both will be valued. Those that don’t will be disbanded.

So the challenge is clear for Heads of HR and their teams: To continue to be valued and have influence means that every HR strategy, policy, process, endeavour, decision, idea and activity must be able to clearly demonstrate its impact on growth and risk.

Anything that does not meet these simple criteria has no place in HR of the future.

Well, that’s what we have to do. The big question is How to do it. And those who do the How piece better, will reap the rewards.

HOW it is done will differ from organisation to organisation but for now, here’s my basic seven starting points: I call them the Seven Strategic HOWS of HR.

1.    Clarity of Vision and Purpose:

Define what HR is in your organisation, what it does and what it does not do.

2.    No Fads! Align HR outcomes with organisational priorities:

Establish a Fad Free Zone in your HR function. Align strategies, priorities and capabilities with the organisation’s needs and focus on deploying the limited resources where they will make the largest impact on the success of the organisation.

3.    Add visible, useful value to all decisions which impact people:

Develop value added decision support tools and use metrics to tell the narrative.

4.    Be Highly Capable and Credible:

Develop high calibre business oriented, Personally Credible HR Professionals, and be one yourself.

5.    Watch the Future:

Be prepared, particularly regarding governance, ethics, social responsibility, social media and knowledge management.

6.    Don’t Boil the Ocean:

Less is always more. Go for the quick, quality-laden wins.

7.    It’s Time:

It is time to:

    • Stop professing and start being professional business leaders.

    • Add value not write value statements

    • Build competitive not comfortable organisations

    • Be proactive, not reactive

    • Act, not be acted on

    • Perform, not preach

    • Deliver outcomes, not dialogue

    • Set Strategy, not procedures

About the author

David Burrell is the founder of LDKS Consulting and works with CEOs and senior HR professionals on Strategic HR, succession and career planning and leadership performance.