Dismal, Disastrous, Ouch!
No, not the commentary from the recent Olympic boxing, but fallout from Alice, Kim and Dan's verdict on McKinsey's 'Making Talent a Strategic Priority'.
Rather than focus on the usual HR sponsorship issues, I thought it would be interesting to look at HR through the lens of Christensen's Values, Processes and Resources framework[1].
Values
The CIPD conference promises that
you will get up to date on the hottest issues in HR. Get fresh ideas and practical solutions to tackle the challenges you are facing in; organisational development, talent management reward, resourcing and recruitment, managing change etc.
Meanwhile, Kim suggests that
HR has an unfortunate habit of attracting folk who think people issues are all ’soft’ issues of motivation, leadership, relationships, ‘EQ’ and so on - all doubtless very important, but there are some critical quantitative issues that you just can’t deal with via chit-chat and arm-waving.
A bit harsh, but there is often a gap between the economic factors that drive the bottom line and the people centric values that follow[2]. Perhaps the human values should lead the economics? Either way, that is a discussion for another day...
Processes
One might suggest that processes are the meat and drink of HR. While this may be true, it is interesting to see that not one explicitly HR focused tool features in Bain's survey of top management tools. Regardless, Dubs suggests that HR processes lining up with business processes is key.
One of the things that make HR great is when HR is well attached to all the other cogs in the machine. When it’s not, our cog just makes lots of noise and does nothing of value.
In a similar, if perhaps bleaker fashion, Rick suggests
This McKinzie (sic) report is more evidence that HR functions are applying themselves with gusto to the wrong things.
Gosh!
Resources
Somewhat predictably, the third area illustrates further examples of the gaps between an ideal outcome and reality. Clayton kicks off with
the all-too-typical example of the HR Manager re-positioned as ‘HR Business Partner’, but clearly lacking the specific skills, knowledge, and in many cases intellect, basic business savvy and motivation to competently carry out the role in a way which leads to both success and credibility within the organisation.
He then goes on to say
Whilst the likes of the CIPD and SHRM are certainly encouraging a new commercial awareness amongst their new and existing members, something far more fundamental is required:
Given the gaps and contrasts between the relevant values, processes and resources, one cause may be the intangible factors that are hard to define and manage but which have a major impact on outcomes. While never easy, optimising intangibles such as behaviours, relationships and culture is likely to help rather than hinder. Rick sums this notion up well when he says
It’s a lot easier to focus on systems and processes because they are tangible, or at least they appear to be so.... Supporting, coaching and challenging managers to help them manage performance is a long hard slog that may take a while to produce results, yet it will have more impact on the way people are managed than yet another new HR process.
Happy Intangibling - the gold medal for that went to the Lin Miaoke btw, but don't ask me how she won it!
Footnotes
[1] Brian has a great example of the Values, Processes, Resources framework in action here
[2] Recent focus on Human Capital and metrics notwithstanding.
By Rick September 1, 2008 - 4:38 pm
Thanks for the link Bruce, and for spotting the spelling mistake. I’d spelt it three different ways in the same piece and hadn’t noticed. That’s why no-one ever asks me to proof-read recruitment ads.
By Dan McCarthy September 1, 2008 - 5:29 pm
Bruce –
Thanks for the comment and link. I just subscribed to your blog, it looks good.
Btw,I’ll be hosting the 3rd edition of the Leadership Development Carnival on September 6th. If you’ like to participate, please submit your posts using the carnival submission form on my sidebar by September 5th.
Here’s a description of the carnival:
The Leadership Development Carnival accepts posts related to leadership, management, and executive development, leadership, management, coaching, human resources, succession planning, and organizational development. Irrelevant posts will be automatically rejected. A link back is must to promote this carnival on the web. Please submit one recent (last 2 weeks) post along with a brief (1 line) description.
Regards,
Dan McCarthy
By kim warren September 2, 2008 - 7:05 am
I don’t want to under-value the critical things HR contribute re e.g. cultural, leadership and social-systems issues. Key thing often [but not always] missing is the mechanical stuff about numbers of people, age profile, levels of skills, and how these move over strategic time-scales. That’s why we end up with too few people with the right qualities in the places we need them, when we need them. Also why one large oil company appointed an engineer to a senior HR role – this sutff is meat and drink to engineers.