THE BIG IDEA
HR is often accused of naval-gazing – so focused on its own whys and wherefores that it misses clear opportunities to step up and make change happen
(and, believe me, I’m putting that kindly – if you really want a cold-water wake-up, google the term “why hr sucks” and read at least a page’s worth of linked articles)
As I’ve discussed in previous articles, HR operates in 4 overlapping domains PEOPLE, TEAMS, ORGANIZATION & CULTURE.
And, while that’s pretty obvious, what happens in the overlaps isn’t always so clear.
Here’s how I think of it:
Now, even a quick look at this graphic will highlight words that you’re likely using to describe aspects of HR’s work.
For example, building an inclusive culture isn’t a new thing, is it? That said, I wonder how many DEI initiatives focus upon the big picture and don’t capitalize on inclusion within teams, and how that comes to life through the style and behaviors of day-to-day collaboration?
Similarly, many companies are focused upon employee engagement with annual surveys, working groups, etc. But how many of those approaches treat individuals as isolated units, assessing their engagement without considering team micro-climates, or their connection to the whole beyond their immediate team?
Another example: Organization design that focuses solely on org charts and wiring diagrams but misses the critical aspects of cultural unity and individual engagement.
It can be so easy to use the words of the overlaps, paying lip-service without doing the heavy lifting of the work itself.
And, of course, the core overlap is PURPOSE.
Doing it on purpose…
Having a shared purpose…
Being purposeful…
Yet, in my experience, while we talk a good game about purpose, it’s almost as shallow as how we talked about Paradigm Shifts in the late-90s, Vision and Mission in the early 2000s, and on, and on…
Most worryingly for HR, discussion of purpose often remains limited to the company/organization purpose, not HR itself.
TRY THIS
Over the years, I’ve developed a pretty good radar for the challenges any HR group and/or leader is facing. And, though I’m not always right (but always eager to learn more), the very process of asking open questions often illuminates long-dark corners.
No matter the challenge or dysfunction experienced by HR, I’ve comes to see that the starting point for triage is to simply ask my clients to finish this phrase (preferably in less than 15 words):
THE PURPOSE OF HR AT MY COMPANY IS TO…
A couple of things to note here.
The first is “at my company” – for a long time, I assumed this was understood – i.e. that for any company, HR’s purpose is situational to the company. Over time, I began to see that this was actually an unsafe assumption, because I met clients and peers who were caught in a cognitive paradox of believing HR to be one thing (usually defined by guru or text book), but experiencing something completely different in the day-to-day.
The second thing to look at is the level of discomfort felt by the respondent in suggesting that HR has a purpose of its own. Some can’t even fathom that there is any detail to the answer other than “… to make sure the CEO earns their bonus.” And maybe there isn’t
(except we do need to talk about self-serving CEOs before we can agree that!)
but that’s not the point – in this instance, the observation has to be of whether the HR function is OF SERVICE to the company’s purpose or, instead, SERVILE.
PURPOSE matters, quite simply, it’s at the core of everything we are, everything we do, and everything we deliver.
And fulfilling our PURPOSE demands that we improve PEOPLE, TEAMS, ORGANIZATION & CULTURE and how they overlap!
USE THIS
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” ~Goethe