In our first post on this topic, we presented both our agreements and disagreements with Dr. Charan, and invited folks to comment.

The comments received confirmed to us that our colleagues agree there is a push and desire to shift how we do HR and yet, we are unclear about the next steps.

From our perspective, as a function it may help to recognize we are a relatively new field of study. In many places, especially developing countries, our field is still not being taught in major universities or, when it is, not in great depth. Many of my colleagues, whom I have witnessed running administrative tasks smoothly and managing client requirements beautifully, entered HR through administrative roles. Some made the move out of curiosity; others were pushed into it. Either way, the move is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it something to be looked down upon. After all, changes of career and discipline shifts are pretty commonplace these days. It would help, however, for us to acknowledge our talent has yet to learn a ton of new tricks.

Take, for example, the October 2015 study published by The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). It reported that 60% of 1,030 HR and non-HR US business leaders at software management company BambooHR claimed HR spends more time performing administrative and maintenance tasks than strategic tasks.¹

I feel obliged to ask: Why is that? Is it because HR professionals perceive more value in managing administrative tasks? Are they pressured by their clients to focus on these tasks? Are they not comfortable taking on strategic tasks? Or, do they not know what tasks are considered strategic, etc.?

And probably the most important question: What are we, HR professionals, doing to help one another become more impactful on the job? How clear are we in what is needed from specific HR roles? How consistent are we when defining what key knowledge, skills and experience are ‘must haves’ for those specific roles? Are we recruiting the right talent – despite all the clichés about ivy league schools, diversity issues, age differences, et al? Are we holding each other accountable in pushing the bar forward?

These are the questions that keep Whirling Chief up at night. Once again, what say you? We would love to hear your thoughts!

¹ See more at shrm.org

Talking about what HR needs to do differently moving forward, here is a dilemma I struggled with for many years after becoming a manager of Human Resources professionals: What does it mean when clients say only good things about their HR Business Partners?

Most of the time it actually means the HR Business Partner is approaching their work with balance and consistent quality – asking the right questions to improve people processes, carrying out both operational and strategic tasks with excellence, supporting talent and leadership development by challenging the status quo, and by offering professional coaching.

Then there are other times… As painful as it is for me to come clean on this, here is a list of realities I have found over the years when a client says only good things about my people:

• HR Business Partner is able to carry on administrative tasks (that may or may not belong to the role) very smoothly, but that alone is only part of the battle.
• HR Business Partner is saying ‘yes’ to every inquiry from the business leader without weighting in impact on the business and/or organization as a whole.
• HR Business Partner is going out of his/her way to accommodate meeting and travel requests for his/her business leader, at the expense of the business itself and its employees.
• HR Business Partner is covering for some semi-ethical work activity taking place in the client group and/or looking the other way.
• HR Business Partner is providing confidential information to the business leader.
• HR Business Partner is only hiring people the business leader likes personally, neglecting more qualified candidates.
• HR Business Partner is playing to the view of client on HR through bad-mouthing, sharing negative experiences, etc. experiences, etc.

If we want to be seen as a ‘strategic’ partner, we not only need to know about organizational psychology, organizational development and change management along with technicalities of people management, we also need to have a clear stand and influence as a leader, ourselves. Next time you receive only positive feedback from Business Leaders on your HR Business Partners and yet struggle to see the business and cultural impact you expect to see, I encourage you to go back and look deeper.

In 2014, Dr. Ram Charan published an article in Harvard Business Review, “It’s Time to Split HR,” which dropped onto the HR world like a bombshell. In his article, Dr. Charan articulated business leaders’ disappointment with their human resources colleagues, suggesting the department may serve organizations better if split into two functions: administrative, and leadership and organization.

In his argument, Dr. Charan claimed:

“… leaders would like to be able to rely on their HR partners’ skills in linking people and numbers to diagnose weaknesses and strengths in the organization, find the right fit between employees and jobs, and advise on the talent implications of the company’s strategy.”

“Most of HR professionals are process-oriented generalists who have expertise in personnel benefits, compensation, and labor relations, focused on internal matters such as engagement, empowerment, and managing cultural issues.”

“HR professionals don’t know how key decisions are made, and they have great difficulty analyzing why people—or whole parts of the organization—aren’t meeting the business’s performance goals.”

Sadly, I agree with all Dr. Charan’s reasons to “put the field of HR on notice.” During my years in the field, I too have observed HR professionals to be deeply focused on administrative and transactional issues, and not adequately developed to handle more strategic organizational issues.

That said, I still disagree with Dr. Charan’s recommendation to ‘split’ HR. Dividing administration would be like having a separate department that does printing in marketing. What would be the efficiency gain? And how would it make HR leaders and professionals stronger and, as a result, businesses stronger?

I feel we need to think more about the issue at hand. Dr. Charan gives a clear voice to the issue – one we can no longer avoid. Point well taken.

If we want the solution to stick, however, it needs to come from us. Let our voices be heard. We’d love to know your thoughts.

Good Morning Everyone! We wanted to continue our second week by focusing on some positive elements and behaviors that affect employee satisfaction at work. There are so many of us craving to create that vibrant learning environment at work, project sites like Whirling Chief, Re:Work and CHReate are slowly taking off, so exciting!!

Most research studies tell us there are four key motivation factors associated with any job: Work content, environment, opportunities to grow, and rewards.

• Ever consider structuring the work in a meaningful way so that your staff can see the value of their delivery, and how it fits into the larger agenda?
• How about providing a fun, safe environment where your team members can question you or any other authority, and can learn from each other and their mistakes?
• Have you given them enough visibility? Look for opportunities where they can grow and showcase their skills. For example, maybe take employees with you in rotation to senior meetings?
• Are you rewarding them appropriately? This is going to be different for everyone, therefore you must understand which monetary and non-monetary rewards each team member values and cater to that.

What else? Perhaps some behaviors?

• Thought about smiling, or saying “Good Morning” in the elevator? (I can’t tell you how many times I have been with an executive in an elevator, and all s/he does is look at their phone to appear busy – lame!)
• Have you shown humility and vulnerability? Sought their opinion, or even help, at times? (If you don’t know how, stay tuned, we will share with you how to do that over future postings.)
• Can you try keeping a positive attitude most of the time? Unless you are a surgeon and there is a life/death scenario on the table, try to remember we can solve anything and everything through communication, people! Life is better and we are stronger through learnings.
• Last but not least, how about sharing ‘care?’ Try looking out for people who are not on your team, and/or caring for things that are not in your assigned scope, extending your leadership horizon.

We strongly believe people learn by doing, and we believe in the power of role modeling. Next time you walk the halls of your office, imagine taking part in a wonderful work environment, then, go make it happen…

Everyone is talking about “employee engagement.” In every organization I am professionally a part of, someone inevitably asks me, “All that sounds good, but have you considered employee engagement?” The question numbs me every time, to be completely honest.

Is there a possibility for an HR professional to consider a new line of practice, process or tool without weighing in the consequences of employee motivation, productivity and satisfaction?

Nancy R. Lockwood, in a 2007 HR Magazine article, “Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic Role,” said, “Employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are ~87% less likely to leave an organization.” No kidding?

As much as we struggle to define what ‘employee engagement’ means as HR/OD professionals, we can all acknowledge everybody wants to work in an environment where they are excited about the company mission and their work, and love the people they work with and the environment they operate in. In that case, I have a new concept for us: it’s called ‘caring for our people.’

Hold on to that thought – we may come back to it at a later date. In the meantime, we asked one of the companies that handles employee engagement best, Google, what employees require to be engaged. Here is what we heard:

1. Safety – room to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other,
2. Dependability – a defined bar for execution excellence,
3. Clarity and Structure – role and objective clarity,
4. Meaning – work assigned to individuals has substance,
5. Impact – outcomes matter and make a positive impact.

The notes from our conversations will follow in the next few months with more details. Stay tuned!! In the meantime, we prepared a short toolkit for those of you, who may struggle to organize thoughts and/or find it challenging to answer questions around employee engagement, find it here.

I felt compelled to start here as a topic because corporate culture was the reason I left my last gig. Funny, huh?! Many of us have likely heard that saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” by Peter Drucker, one of our world’s most successful management consultant gurus. It makes me laugh every time I hear it because it is so darn true!

So, how do we really know whether a corporate culture is a good fit or not? Well…it helps to first define what we mean by “corporate culture.” What we refer to as corporate culture is actually patterns of accepted behavior, the beliefs imbedded in the system, and the values that are promoted and reinforced within an organizational environment. Make sense? So, then what? Nothing. Sometimes we are lucky enough to fit right into a given environment, and other times not. There is nothing wrong with either of those situations – except not realizing the situation for what it is.

“If you are not working with people who touch your heart, stop. It is not worth it.”

For example, about halfway through my career I was working under the supervision of some great leaders; I didn’t recognize how “great” they were at empowering and supporting us until I moved into a new assignment. I wouldn’t say I took my leaders for granted but, rather, I assumed providing a learning environment was a given. I was wrong.

More recently, when I was hired into an environment where the company values were not aligned with my leadership values, I doubted my instincts. I thought, maybe I can wait it out a little. Then I could collaborate, and demonstrate to the communities around me what we were capable of accomplishing together; if I push people for trust, they may adjust their expectations and behaviors. Once again, I was wrong. When people have different motivations to drive them, they default to what they know best and what they believe to be true.

Therefore, this post is for every odd man (or woman) out who may need help to recognize a possible fit issue. After researching across multiple resources, and combining that academic knowledge with years and years of experience, I’d like to share with you a few clear signs to look for in assessing a cultural fit issue:

Courage & gut talking. Let me tell you about my experience: I woke up that morning feeling so grateful I followed my gut to leave my prestigious position. And yet I was incredibly scared to move into the unknown, with only a little understanding of where and how I could contribute to the new world as a seasoned professional. Looking back now after a year and half, it was the very best move for me. I can, at long last, sleep peacefully after years and years of being half awake through the night wondering, am I in the right place?

When you start a new job, if you feel in time something is not quiet right and you can’t figure out what it is, I’d recommend you do not doubt yourself. It is very likely you are right. Listen to your inner self. It knows us better than we think.

Offensive /destructive comments. If your co-workers or your boss are saying things that make you feel down when you rest your head on your pillow at night, pay attention to it. Pay attention also to what your loved ones tell you. Just like our gut, their outside perspective can often tell if something is not going well.

A colleague told me her story recently: She was hired for a director-level job, and from the very start people were making very subtle, and yet disrespectful, comments to her here and there. She didn’t even realize there was an issue, until her husband accompanied her to a company party a few months later. He witnessed first-hand his wife being put down, and expressed his concerns to make her aware. She eventually left the group to find a better fit inside the company.

As uncomfortable as it is to face conflict head on, you may have to confront your situation. Explain to people what’s tolerable (and not) and how they make you feel as a result of their behavior. At the end of the day, isn’t life all about enjoyment and fulfillment? Try to remember and, more importantly, honor that.

Values mismatch. If you have tried to evolve your thoughts, change your behaviors, and/or adjust your routine to better fit a culture, yet still feel a strong sense of disconnect, isolation, or frustration, you may consider reaching out to someone. As I said earlier, a trustworthy friend or loved one may provide a good mirror for you.

Often, there are more senior people in the workplace, with more context and experience, who can help you connect the dots at the same time. Asking for help shows vulnerability and good will, as it calls for a solution; even if a solution doesn’t exist, trust that it is win-win after all. (By the way, there is a great TED talk on vulnerability by Brene Brown. Check it out here.)

Last but not least, if you ever find yourself working with people who do not touch your heart every day, my humble recommendation is to simply stop. One can always find an alternative way to earn. Life is far too precious to waste your time. Remember: We can’t control the environment around us; however, we can decide what sort of leader we want to be, and what kind of people with whom we wish to be surrounded. Make a choice and stay with it in peace.

At the end of 2014, I took a huge leap of faith.

I left my admirable, comfortable corporate position and set out on my own. It was not my first leap of faith. I had done it several times before – when I was granted a scholarship to study abroad at the age of fourteen and, more recently, when I got married. The difference this time is that I was intentional enough with my decision to recognize and appreciate the transition in real time. Life is a magical thing, as Tony Bennett once said; “If you are patient enough with it, it really does teach you how to deal with it.”

This blog is a very special second step forward for me. I am an industrial and organizational psychologist, and a human resources (HR) expert. I have been working in the field of human resource management for almost two decades. It is with shame I announce, however, that only since becoming self-employed have I had genuine time to follow global discussions regarding the future of human resources management. I can’t express how troubled I have been by this topic, what with all the pushback and confusion surrounding its future, and how eager I have become to help the industry move forward.

“Every big innovation comes from one person taking a small step forward.”

I LOVE what we do. I LOVE being able to help organizations become more effective and efficient. I LOVE being able to touch human lives, show them ways to change behavior or, better yet, provide an environment for them to flourish.

I am starting to realize that the times are different now and we are not going to be able to move forward using traditional approaches to what we do. Let’s accept it: traditional HR had its time. The big question we have today is: how do we best prepare for the future? I figure we need to incorporate what we have learned about HR to our work today, yet be completely open to learn new skills and new ways of thinking, and have more fun.

Perhaps we need to discuss where and how our focus should be? Perhaps we need to refocus the way we work? Perhaps we need to embrace technology and new ways of communicating? Or perhaps we need to find a way to bring out the best in us as a community, for the benefit of others?

I do not have answers. All I know is that these are big questions we need to answer, and that none of us can tackle it alone.

With that thought, I have invested to create this space. Here, we can all share, exchange, learn, laugh, and grow together.

Our team is extremely excited to hear your thoughts, concerns, challenges, questions, and ideas in real time. Personally, on the other hand, I would appreciate the opportunity for us to openly think together.

This is OUR space. It is safe, it is honest, and it is future looking.

I genuinely believe every big innovation comes from one person taking a small step forward. This is mine. Will you please join us in making our working worlds stronger?