Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Now more than ever, HR professionals need to know how to develop, implement, and maintain strategy. As a reminder, a strategy is defined as a plan of action designed to achieve success. Frankly, strategy work is hard right now because the business world is changing frequently, and the organization is reacting in response. So, I can understand how it might feel like HR strategies are in a constant state of flux.
But the key to success is for HR strategies to align with the organization. It could be helpful to remember that – in addition to strategy alignment – HR pros need to be strategic. Being strategic is defined as “relating to overall long-term interests”.
I wrote an article years ago titled “Creating Strategy and Being Strategic Aren’t the Same Thing”. I hope you’ll check it out when you have a moment. Remembering where developing strategy and being strategic intersect is valuable during times of uncertainty. It helps us understand that we need to shift our focus from a “been there, done that, so I already know the answer” to a “been there, know what happened, now let’s apply the learnings to our current situation.” This means relying less on instinct and more on analytics.
The conversation about HR, strategy, and analytics has been around for a while. Today’s article is a reminder that we need to continue our focus in these areas. Here are a couple of articles that might help:
HR Professionals Can Learn How to Be More Strategic
I remember reading an article years ago about what CEOs were looking for in future chief human resources officers (CHROs) and they talked about the need for HR to be more strategic. Then two paragraphs later, those same CEOs were asked what they were doing to make the human resources team more strategic … and they said nothing. (Not joking.) This is an opportunity to gain new skills or refresh existing ones. The need to be strategic isn’t going away. Especially in today’s business climate.
Using the Scientific Method to Create Organizational Change
It’s easy to see the value in strategic thinking. Being able to effectively apply our theoretical knowledge and in-the-trenches experience will serve us well. As businesspeople, there will always be some sort of challenge we need to work on. Some problems are big, and others are small. Finding a proven method to research and work on problems is necessary. What can be very beneficial for the organization is to adopt a method – like the scientific method – properly train everyone in the organization and use it regularly to make the organization better.
I wish I could say that the frequent change we’re experiencing is going to just go away, but I’m not sure that’s the case. As business professionals, we need to get comfortable with change. And as HR professionals, we need to help the organization get comfortable with it. The good news is we have tools and processes that can help us make good decisions and create challenging but achievable strategies.
Stay strategic and use those skills to manage change.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Fort Lauderdale, FL
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