Well here's the thing - I don't actually work in HR. Having spent many years in organisational leadership roles, I now run my own change consultancy practice. I'm a bit of a gamekeeper turned poacher, which I think is much more fun than the other way around!
So "my year in HR so far" comes from the perspective of talking to and working with leaders who want to develop their business through their people. Perhaps that is in fact the ideal definition of HR...
It's been a busy and rewarding year so far. As I've spoken to and worked with organisations, I've noticed that there is increasing interest in how people and organisations can change and develop. I think this trend is especially important for those involved in HR.
In the modern world, the ability to respond quickly to the environment, adapt and change is essential to any business. As a consequence there is increasing demand for those people who can make change happen in a commercial context. Not just in a people context. Not just in a learning context. Not just in a change management context. I'm talking about change and development as an intrinsic part of commercial delivery. I'm talking about Change Leaders.
Commercially astute, Change Leaders have the courage, motivation and initiative to create a better future for the organisation. They are committed to enabling the performance of the organisation at many levels. With high standards and equally high ethics, they recognise that major change requires new behaviours and skills. They know that people are the key to any successful change.
As I've thought about this, I've found myself contemplating three statements that I think are increasingly relevant to the HR agenda:
- Organisations are perfectly designed for the results that they get.
- Ethics are the fundament of good business and good leadership.
- Labelling and codification does not create best practice. It creates orthodoxy.
I believe Change Leaders work with the above firmly in mind, embracing the human aspects of work, to release potential and deliver business performance.
The opportunity for organisations and especially HR is in finding, developing and recognising Change Leaders - they are very likely the key to your organisation's future.
