Human Capital Management 20/20

HR Armed with Data

Workforce Magazine's April 2011 edition has a great section in the back (p. 33) entitled, "HR Armed with data", which is a response to the march 2011 cover story entitled, "Numbers Game".  What a PERFECT title.  It again affirms the notion that not all HR folks should be in the C-suite unless you have what it takes to be a strategist. Here is my favorite reader quote...

"Analytics balanced with experience, insight and situational awareness lead to better business decisions in human resources, which lead to better business decisions throughout the company."

Last month I spoke at the Winchester (VA) chapter of SHRM on the HR vs HC: Who's in the C-Suite blog post I started here in HCM2020. I try to be very cautious when explaining exactly what I mean when I say that not all HR professionals should be in the C-suite.  Why would I say this?  Because not all HR folks have this data driven mindset or have the resources to get the data needed to drive business decisions.  But it's not all about the data, it's about the whole package.

The ultimate focus for the C-level executive in the people/human capital function is captured in the reader's quote above.  It says it all.

Leadership: Integrity, Honor & Consistency

2011 has turned out, thus far, to be quite an interesting time for me personally, and obviously for our country as well.  I've decided to write a few posts (and perhaps more than a few) on my philosophy of leadership. This is, of course, my view from a 39-year-old female, mother of two kids (6 & 7), business executive, socially liberal - politically conservative, INTJ, QuickStart/FactFinder, Libra, wine enthusiast, technology junkie, lover of those who push boundaries and go against the grain, champion of the underdog, etc., etc., etc. 

All of these things influence my leadership style of course.  Those who know me best know that I never fit neatly into boxes, within boundaries, stay within the lines, or anything else that is "expected" of me.  In fact, I love to rattle cages, shake things up, do exactly what I'm not supposed to.  I love living this way.  It brings about innovation, change, and new things which often create positive outcomes. 

For as much as I like to be independent, you should know that my ultimate mantra as a leader is the concept of servant leadership.  I am only as good as the company I keep and how well I treat those with whom I work.  In my book, everyone is treated the same.  Respect is a cornerstone of my relationships and integrity and consistency are the foundation.  I am finding that "truth" is sometimes elusive but must always be pursued and thus I ask many questions to seek clarity and truth.

I thought I would share these concepts because I'm feeling that in the business and political worlds right now we are really lacking leaders who are willing to put a stake in the ground, to be accountable, to be consistent, to explain 'where they stand'.  

As always, I'd love thoughts on this.... 

Solid Foundations - thoughts on how leadership styles emerge

After a very hectic and fun 2009, I'm finally finding some time to get back to my blog, and the associated research involved in writing.  This is something I'm quite passionate about.  In cleaning up this blog I found five half-baked blog posts on everything from Principle Centered Leadership to an exploration of my leadership style and how a style emerges.  There is the whole "born versus learned" argument about where leadership styles emerge from.  On any given day I can be persuaded to join either side of that fence (which is rare).  But frankly, it probably is a bit of both.  One has to have an innate ability or drive to lead.   Regardless of that argument, however, is the core of what creates one's leadership style....a solid foundation.  So for me, here is what that means.

Successful leadership is about gaining a deep understanding of yourself, your drivers, and the ability to know yourself better than anyone else.  It is about continual learning, in a range of contexts and situations.  This includes reading about leadership styles, contexts, patterns.  It is about drawing on your past and reflecting on your experiences, both as a leader and as a follower.  What motivated you to follow or lead?  It is about hands-on leadership experiences.  It is about leading successfully and unsuccessfully - then transforming both into good learning lessons for yourself (and if you're truly humble - for others too).   It's about watching others lead and learning from their successes and challenges as well.

A big part of leadership is listening, asking questions first, and trying to gain a true understanding of where others are coming from.  Then having the ability to shift gears if it makes sense.  Iron-fisted leadership may work well when you're leading only yourself - but when leading others, it's rarely a dynamic for success.  

Self realization that you don't have all of the answers.  That hiring really smart people to work with you is a great way to get even more accomplished.  Hire them, set the course and let them get there the best way they know how (get out of their way).  Be confident in  your leadership and let your folks run with it.  A side note: I find that leaders who can't do this well micromanage or pass significant judgment when they haven't set a clear course for their team - thus lacking in confidence.  If you are unsure of a course, share what you do know then let your team help set the course.  Perhaps their path will create exciting new opportunities?

 

I have a four year old daughter who is learning all about these concepts in pre-school.  Her teacher tells me often that she is a leader in her class.  I recently asked what she means by this and she said, "Your daughter senses her classmates and helps guide them in a way that they appreciate."  This is what I strive for in my daily leadership activities.  I'm not always successful, but in a consistent and Zen-like way, I am always striving to establish this solid foundation for leadership.

Prepping New Generations or Retraining Managers/Leaders for Workplace of the Future?

The Social Media Club offers up a great question this week which has me really thinking about how we "prepare" future generations for the workplace of the future.  Here is a link to their original blog post: SMCQ11: How do we educate the younger generation to prepare for the modern workforce?

A great question indeed.

One of the most interesting things happened to me between 1995 when I finished undergrad and 2001 when I started my first serious company.  In 1995 the field of eLearning (as we know it today) didn't truly exist.  Yet in 2001 I founded a consulting firm to focus on strategic eLearning for associations and non-profits.  My undergraduate program didn't necessarily prepare me for my chosen profession.  So the question that Deborah Crooks poses on the SMC blog is a really good one indeed.

I think there are two sides to this question. One side is how can our education system teach students abstract concepts like change management, creative problem solving, and critical thinking or other important concepts around collaboration (in the broadest sense), teamwork, etc.  And at what age is learning about these concepts appropriate in child development?  I leave this to the experts in the education world who have to tackle the major institutional obstacles that keep our public education system stuck in the industrial age.  As a parent of a pre-K and Kindergartner I see this first hand every day and honor parents that home school because of it.

The other side of this coin is how can we teach managers and organizational leaders to become "guides on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage"?  Meaning, when can we get leaders to truly transform management styles so that we embrace and welcome learning from younger members in a professional population.  When will companies get the idea that sometimes true leadership comes from following, learning, and listening (servant leadership)?   When coaching and mentoring is led by the younger of the pair or group, not by the older?

In the human capital world there is a constant message that leaders and managers attempt to get Millennials to conform to the current way of doing things.  Policies are created to limit the use of social media in the workplace.  If someone is "caught" in IMs or surfing the Net it's assumed they are "slacking".

Perhaps what leaders and managers need to do is give up the Industrial Age leadership and management practices for those of the Knowledge Economy.  Create new styles of leadership that acknowledge and embrace collaboration through the Internet, embrace teamwork and knowledge gathering using all means possible.  Back on the flip side, educational systems need to be completely revamped to address the fact that many children today will be working jobs in the future that haven't even been created yet.

HR is just one part of HCM

One of the things I like to be very clear on early in conversations about human capital management, is that HCM is not simply HR.  It's not a fancy new term for a revised definition of human resources.  It is a much, much broader concept  of which HR is just one part.  All of the following buzz words fall under the umbrella of HCM:

Human Capital Management Components

• Talent Management
• Human Resources (HRM, HR, etc.)
• Training
• Professional Development
• Certification/Designations
• Leadership/Management Training
• Onboarding
• Recruitment & Retention
• Compensation & Benefits
• Workforce Productivity
• Workforce Planning & Deployment
• Workforce Analytics & Trends
• Generational Trends
• Change Management
• Organizational Mission, Philosophy & Culture
• Strategic Alignment
• Knowledge Management & Thought Leadership

HCM Strategy, focuses on how all of these buzz words work together to generate a high performing organization with happy, productive employees.

We have taken these buzz words and formulated a new approach to HCM around four key areas.  Watch the blog for more on the HCM2020 Vision in the coming days.