HRMusing

THINK DIFFERENT - AGAIN!

In 1984, Lee Clow of TBWA/Media Arts Labs in collaboration with Apple created the commercial above. It challenged us to Think Different by depicting……….

…The crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. The ones who are not fond of the rules, the ones that have no respect for the status quo. And while you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them - about the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things, they push the human race forward. Some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

This is the time for organizations to re-invent themselves, find new markets, expand  their influence and grow leaders. Look around your organization for the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels - the ones who push you to be different  -  to see things differently. Work along side them and challenge the current state of things. These  are the ones who are your future - they are the ones who are just crazy enough to struggle upstream against the  status quo and propel you forward.

KNIHT TNEREFFID!

This is the question I get most often from HR up and comers. It is usually one of the first questions that I am asked along with how did you get a place at the table.

The Table? The Table, presumably, is a seat with the decision makers in the organization - large or small. Whenever I hear this, I am dismayed! Many HR professional organization materials lament that HR isn’t at The Table but neglect to provide a road map for the journey and an answer.

HR professionals should not be asking  for a seat at The Table. They should be asking ‘how can I directly impact revenue generation, productivity and ultimately the the bottom line?” Once that question is asked, actions in HR developed and implemented, asking how to get a seat at The Table is redundant. When HR impacts the bottom line you will have a seat at the table waiting for you!

Forging HR priorities in the context of real business imperatives is critical to getting and keeping a seat at the decision-making table. HR professionals  considered “strategic players” get and keep a seat at the table by:

• Demonstrating a detailed understanding of their organization’s key business issues and identifying and aligning their human capital implications
• Demonstrating a high degree of flexibility to change the direction of the function according to business needs
• Using insightful, fact-based information regarding human capital investments
• Developing a strong relationships between the HR leader and peer business leaders that enables HR to play an influential role in key business decisions
• Flawlessly executing basic administrative processes and programs
• Employing an HR staff that has business acumen, analytic skills and the desire to impact business results
• Structuring HR to closely align with and fit the organizational structure

“Everything HR does must directly impact/support revenue,
productivity, and building the company’s desired culture.”- Sr HR Officer Fortune 100 (2007)

Be Seated!