WINNING A TOP TABLE ROLE

WINNING A TOP TABLE ROLE If almost everything you do is operational, you are missing opportunities to make big differences to the business

Strategic HR changes and develops your business—it delivers the talented, motivated and well-managed people that business plans assume. Very few things are more important. However, we cannot be strategic if we are on the sidelines of the business, watching executives make the big choices. We have to be proactively engaged in business decision-making, influencing business strategies as they develop. We have to have a voice at the executive table. Many of us have to win that top table role, change how executives think about HR and change how we see HR. In too many organizations, HR is considered an entirely operational, service function, engaged in:

? Individuals’ issues, such as discipline and poor performance.

? Advising and supporting managers on people questions, such as hiring, rewards, etc.

? Compiling and using people metrics, e.g., absence, costs.

? Recruitment and selection.

? Improving HR’s policies, procedures and intranet.

All of those, and many other day to-day tasks, are essential, they keep the business running; however, if almost everything you do is operational, you are missing opportunities to make big differences to the business. And, there will be some worrying signs that you are disengaged from strategy, such as:

1.?????Business leaders make big decisions without you. You find yourself playing “catch up,” i.e., explaining to executives the HR implications of decisions they have already made.

2.?????HR’s costs and contribution are often questioned—much more so than other functions such as finance or IT. The problem here is that HR is not valued. Research suggests that only strategic success raises HR’s perceived value; operational efficiency is taken for granted.

3.?????Managers expect you to do tasks they ought to be doing, such as interviewing, researching and having tough conversations with people—all of which probably means your diary is full, and you have no time to think, find out more or discuss things.

4.?????When you meet managers, you only discuss HR topics. In business meetings, you have almost nothing to say about profitability, technology, markets, etc. Similarly, meetings of the HR team only consider HR issues; commercial issues are not routinely on HR’s agenda.

5.?????Most important of all, it is now obvious business decisions and plans could have been much smarter. Problems were created and then you had to find ways around them. And, the business probably missed important opportunities, too.

TALK BUSINESS, NOT HR The key to changing executives’ expectations of HR, and winning that top table seat, is to talk business with business managers. Talk about business plans, performance, opportunities...and executives will not only listen, they will want to know what HR can do for them. Right now, you might know little about your business; you do not talk business well. If so, you need to do some research. Try: ? Really getting to know how your organization works by speaking to people areas such as in sales, finance, IT, about their business (not HR) problems and successes. Every meeting about an HR issue is also a chance to ask about business.

? Obtaining a copy of the business plans, and working out their HR implications. What people, capabilities and rewards do they assume?

? Finding out how the business measures its performance, what trends are, and why. Ask senior managers in other functions, such as finance, what the figures mean.

? Asking to sit in on presentations, conferences, etc. And, ask what other helpful sources of information are coming up.

? Working as an HR team on this; ask your HR colleagues for information, ideas, answers, etc.

‘‘Talk about business plans, performance, opportunities, etc., and then executives will not only listen, they will want to know what HR can do for them.’’

NOW ASK FOR A SEAT Good research makes it easy to ask for a seat at the table; just ask if you could discuss a hot business issue. If it is a pressing, big issue, executives will want to talk. Everyone wants answers to their problems. But, make sure it’s an issue with a few HR solutions; for example, where current work practices create problems. If you feel the need to add emphasis, mention the adverse commercial impacts of the issue. For example, you might say: “Could we meet to find a solution to falling service levels? Last month we missed the target for the third time.”

"We cannot be strategic if we are on the sidelines of the business, watching executives make the big choices."

ASK QUESTIONS, GET EXECUTIVES WORKING Watch out for meetings where you are expected to present a great proposal. They often go wrong because the meeting itself produces a great deal of new, important information. This is often key information about executives’ priorities, ideas, preferences. They go wrong because the executive has not been engaged in developing a proposal, so they are less likely to understand it and to accept it. So, take things cautiously and ask many questions. Initially, I like to provide a brief summary of what the business is planning to do, because that checks my understanding and demonstrates my knowledge. Then I ask about:

Problems associated with the plans. To get buy-in to an HR solution you have to show you can fi x commercial problems, i.e., show how you can make things better, easier, quicker, simpler. So, ask what is obstructing business plans, or might do so. What are the big challenges? You can bet some of the big problems will be people issues, and you will then know how HR can really make a difference.

Performance implications for the business. This is the crucial step—ask about the performance consequences of the problems. What are (or will be) the adverse impacts of the problems on the business? Impacts on costs, sales, growth, delays, quality, and customer service? It is the step that makes problems bigger, urgent, visible, consequential. It is the step that creates the motivation and commitment to finding a solution.

Proposal—what would work? Ask what a great solution to the problems would be—get the executive to describe what HR needs to do. This step links HR’s proposal, the problems and his/her plans together in the mind of business leaders. It makes HR’s proposal relevant and realistic and owned by the executive. It makes it their proposal, rather than HR’s.

BUILD YOUR INFLUENCE HR teams that publicize their successes build their credibility and influence. That is no surprise and the research on HR’s effectiveness is pretty conclusive about the importance of publicity. But, HR’s modesty is a global phenomenon; we are universally bad at demonstrating what we have achieved. Try agreeing on clear, achievable success measures for every HR project at the outset. Get executives to take some responsibility for delivering successes, then things are likely to work out well. Watch out for projects where HR does everything. Then, at then of the program, run a concerted program to show what you have achieved. Finance, IT, sales, customer service will all be demonstrating the value they have added. You ought to compete with them!

KEEP THAT TOP TABLE ROLE The biggest threat to your role at the top table is simply time. Everywhere, able HR professionals say they want to be strategic, know what they need to do, but just do not have the time. Operational HR, the endless list of routine tasks, takes up all the day, and then some more. Every HR team I have worked with has had to be smarter and more ruthless at managing what they do. Here is my guide to managing your workload and keeping that strategic role: Publish clear objectives: As an HR professional, several people might add to your workload—business managers, HR’s leaders, your HR colleagues and the people in your team. Make sure they all understand your objectives and then they might think carefully before giving you additional tasks. Clear objectives also help you decide what you should and should not be doing. Struggling HR professionals often have objectives that are so vague much of their time is wasted on marginal tasks. Get everything into your calendar/smartphone: Your calendar is the only tool that tells you what you need to do, when you need do it and whether you can do more. Put everything in it, not just operational tasks and holidays, but time for learning more about your business, relationship building and networking, thinking things through, producing ideas and, of course, publicity. Say sorry you cannot do something that is unimportant to you and explain why it does not matter to you. A task is unimportant if it will not make a real difference to achieving your objectives. The same ruthless decision needs to be made if it is you who plans to add to your own workload. The person most likely to give you too much to do is yourself!

CHECK YOURSELF Everyone few months take a careful look back, and ask how often you have been involved with:

? Understanding how the business is performing, e.g., its profitability, market share, etc.

? Convincing managers HR has great solutions to big business challenges.

? Building great relationships with influential stakeholders in the business.

? Contributing to new business plans from the beginning.

? Integrating HR’s interventions so they support one another— creating a joined-up HR.

? Challenging managers’ thinking; making a convincing case for business change.

? Using meetings and workshops to change people and their performance.

? Publicizing HR’s commercial contribution, e.g., cost savings, improved service.

If you have been strategic, won and kept your place at the top table, you will have done quite a few of those.