Sometimes, changing our results is as much about what we stop doing as what we start.
CEO’s around the world have recognized that critical importance of talent and they are looking to HR to lead. To step up to this challenge means abandoning some bad habits and adopting new mindsets.
My friends at Small Improvements asked me to create a series of blog posts to act as a guide to those who are ready to step up to this challenge this year. Below are five things that HR needs to stop doing in order to step up to a higher level of impact. I call this the “2017 HR Hitlist.”
1. Saying “No.”
If I had one wish I could use to transform the work of human resources, it would be to remove the word “no.” This tiny word is at the core of why HR is too often viewed as an obstacle to progress rather than a facilitator of results. Read the full post.
2. Enabling Bad Managers.
When HR swoops in like “The Wolf” in Pulp Fiction to take over for a manager in uncomfortable conversations, we enable bad behavior. When we help them cover up that they aren’t managing their employees’ performance diligently, we enable bad behavior. Read the full post.
3. Defending Broken Practices.
There can be no innovation or progress unless we’re open to the possibility of a better way. The black or white, yes or no, approach to HR does not work in a world of perpetual and accelerating change. As a consequence, HR is riddled with ineffective, old management practices born in an age of industrialization that have no place in today’s world of work. Read the full post.
4. Playing Small.
If there’s one thing that’s holding us back in HR more than anything else, it is our collective lack of confidence.
Within every organization, we have departments built around technical expertise. IT are the experts in technology; finance and accounting in financial systems; and sales in sales process.
We trust these departments to deliver solutions to business needs that exist within their areas. When the organization faces a technical challenge, we trust the IT team to assess the situation, understand the business needs, and find the right solution. Same for accounting and sales.
But, when it comes to HR, it’s a different story. Read the full post.
5. Treating Technology as the Solution.
The explosion in technology innovation means that we have a virtually endless array of technology products to buy and implement within our organization. There are technologies for every problem you can imagine in HR—from employee engagement to new hire paperwork.
And all of these cool technologies hold the promise of solving your most pressing HR problems.
But, just like my new golf clubs, buying technology could end up making you feel better at first, but it won’t solve the underlying issues. Read the full post.
The year ahead is destined to be much like those in the recent past, filled with new challenges and chaos. Within it all lies the opportunity for HR to rise to a new level of leadership. But, doing what we’ve always done isn’t an option any longer.
That starts with liberating yourself from outdated mindsets and counter-productive behaviors.