One of my favorite quotes that has shaped the way I approach human resources and leadership comes from the former chief human resources officer of Netflix, Patty McCord, who said, “Good talent managers think like businesspeople and innovators first, and like HR people last.”
No matter how much change the workforce experiences over time, the one thing that will always remain the same is our purpose as a profession: driving organizational success through employee success. However, while our purpose remains the same, HR continues to transform in the way we achieve our mission to create an environment that enables employees to flourish.
As you plan and work toward your organizational goals for 2023, it’s critical to think about the skills needed to transform your HR strategy into the change agent it was meant to be. Here are five important skills to consider.
Perseverance
Achieving transformational results doesn’t come without experiencing a mixed bag of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the worst-case scenarios. Experiencing the worst-case scenario and the lessons learned is usually when we see true transformation start to blossom. Whether your organization has gone through the loss of the CEO or another key leader or experienced another form of hardship, don’t lose heart. The first step to achieving transformational results is not giving up so easily.
Vision
The start of a new year is the perfect time for a bright new vision for your workforce. You can’t achieve transformational results without having a clear idea of what you’re trying to transform and why. Setting a clear vision for your HR strategy helps set a sense of urgency and mission. Vision is what sets strategic HR leaders apart. They have their finger on the pulse of what’s in front of them but can also see what’s around the corner.
Agility
Being agile means assessing risk, making courageous decisions, and acting quickly to meet the needs of a changing environment while producing results. To bring transformational results to your HR strategy, you must first assess any risks. Ask the question, how can we update and optimize our processes to facilitate better work? Being agile also means displaying curiosity and being open to innovation. Businesses are looking for agile HR leaders who won’t just accept the status quo but strive to produce desired outcomes.
Courage
As HR leaders, we are often caught between a rock and a hard place when making business decisions. Transformation happens when leaders have the courage to stick to their principles but are also willing to make changes when necessary. Transforming your HR strategy means creating a culture of respect and trust for HR. It takes courage not to walk away when things get difficult. It also means having the courage to admit mistakes, be different, think differently, have difficult conversations, and know when to remove yourself from unhelpful situations.
Embrace Data
If you’re like me and are not a big fan of math, this news will disappoint you, but HR transformation cannot happen without data to support your strategy. At the end of the day, achieving transformational results is not free, and there are still costs associated with change management. An HR leader can achieve better results by understanding the impact HR transformation can have on the business’s financials, not just the human resources budget. Taking a holistic approach to HR also means understanding the data needed to make business decisions that will impact your talent strategy.
No matter where you are in the process of transforming your HR strategy to achieve organizational success, the skills detailed above will set you up for even greater success. If you have any questions about transforming your HR strategy, please contact Employers Council.
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