Strategic HR: Put yourself to the test
| Date | 01 November 2004 |
| Published date | 01 November 2004 |
| Pages | 3-3 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390480000566 |
| Author | Robert “Jake”Jacobs |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
3
Volume 4 Issue 1 November/December 2004
STRATEGIC COMMENTARY
,
Thought leaders share their views on the HR profession and
its direction for the future
DEPARTMENTS AT A GLANCE
STRATEGIC COMMENTARY
,
e-HR
,
HOW TO…
,
PRACTITIONER PROFILE
METRICS
HR AT WORK
REWARDS
,
RESEARCH AND RESULTS
,
,
,
,
T
here are few who debate that the
most pressing issue facing HR
executives and their organizations
is the shift from transactional
administrators to strategic business
partners. This however leads to two
important questions:
1. How do you know where your HR
organization rates on this
developmental curve?
2. What specific actions can you take to
make this shift more efficiently and
effectively?
The assessment below will answer both of
these questions. One note though before
you begin: respond honestly. No one is
looking over your shoulder to see how
you score. The questions in parentheses
provide a “quality control” function. If
you find yourself struggling with these,
revisit how you responded to the original
question.
#1. Ask yourself five questions
•Are you deeply involved in and make
solid contributions to business strategy
decisions in your organization? (If so,
which three decisions were you
involved in during the past six months
and what value did you add?)
•Have other senior executives told you
that your HR organization is setting
the bar for effective organizational
change in your company? (If so, who
told you and when?)
•Is your HR agenda in line with and
supportive of the overall business
strategies? (If so, which five specific
areas can you point to where this is
true?)
•Do you have a standing meeting with
your CEO to provide advice and
counsel regarding the entire
enterprise, not just HR strategies and
plans? (If so, what topics have you
been working on in these sessions?)
•Are you implementing “frame-
breaking” change initiatives that are
enabling the organization to meet
critical business targets? (If so, which
two major initiatives have you
implemented in the past year?)
#2. Tally your score
If you answered “yes” to none or one of
the questions, you have significant
opportunities to create additional value.
Think about working with other senior
leaders (within HR and outside) to
develop a clear vision for your new
work. Reflect on which allies could aid
your progress. Get ready to re-negotiate
your role with your CEO. You have an
exciting and challenging journey ahead.
If you answered “yes” to two or
three of the questions, you’re doing a
solid job but still have a good deal of
room for improvement. In this case,
make two lists. On the first write down
all the reasons that led to your “yes”
responses above. What did you do in
Robert “Jake” Jacobs
is a partner in Mercer Delta
Consulting’s change
leadership practice. His new
book, You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: How
to Involve Others to Get Things Done, is a
primer on the five steps HR executives can apply to
effectively implement organizational change.
each situation to make it happen?
What did others do? Repeat this process
for the items where you marked “no.”
Review the lists. Look for patterns and
themes. From this analysis, identify
ways you can increase your impact in
the future.
If you answered “yes” to four or five
of the questions, you’re already adding
exceptional value as a strategic business
partner. It’s time to make a difference
in other parts of the organization.
Identify places to deploy HR’s
competencies that will accelerate and
sustain needed change. Meet with
leaders in these areas. Explore and
agree with them how to apply your
know-how to their change challenges.
#3. Take action
Before you begin implementing the
ideas you generated, think through the
two questions below:
•Whose input would be worthwhile to
add to your own thoughts?
•How can you recruit them to gain
their insight?
That way you’ll make smart decisions if
– and how – you make changes to your
HR role, strategies and plans. Now
return to your self-assessment. If you
didn’t score a five, what will it take for
you and your HR organization to get
there?
Strategic HR: put
yourself to the test
Robert “Jake”Jacobs offers five simple questions to help you gauge how
strategic you really are – and what to do if your score is disappointing.
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2004. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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