HR should first look within to handle this dicey issue
It is 10 a.m. and the manager has already completed a solid three hours at the office. He knows it will be a long day, and he will probably only complete one-third of all that should be done. Then he receives an e-mail from HR about a two-day development event. “They must be kidding,” he thinks. “Who can attend training at a time like this? They truly have no idea what I am up against. I’ll just have to get out of it.”
The above scenario is the reality of many time-cramped senior leaders. So how does an HR professional convince them to actively engage in development initiatives that are critical to both their careers and the company’s long-term success? To borrow from Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan: “The medium is the message.” In other words, it is not the message but the characteristics of the messenger that can have the most influence.
The messenger
People will readily accept advice and direction from a person they respect as competent and knowledgeable, and whom they believe has their very best interests at heart. So leaders need to become that kind of person. And this does not just come with a job title — it has to be earned. HR professionals must earn the privilege to advise, recommend and mandate development initiatives in which others should participate.
Senior managers need to believe HR understands the business. They also need to know HR professionals recognize the nature of their world and the demands on their time, and that they anticipate the resources they need, when they need them. They must think of HR as an equal business partner.
To earn this reputation, HR must identify its current standing by answering several questions. How is it viewed throughout the organization? Does it have a seat at the right tables — are HR professionals invited to meetings where strategic business decisions are made? Is HR frequently solicited for opinions by senior managers, or only called upon to fulfill administrative requests once decisions are already made?
Then determine the gaps where HR is not yet regarded as a business partner. And identify where, and with which people, HR does not yet possess the reputation necessary to obtain sufficient sponsorship for initiatives. With this clarity, outline and take action on a development plan to improve the situation.
The message
How is HR going to sell its development initiative so senior executives want to invest their precious time? How will it be positioned as crucial to their personal and professional success?
Again, HR must be clear on exactly what it’s selling and what benefits the boss can expect to gain. Can she expect valuable face time with other key decision-makers? Will she obtain 360-degree feedback that can significantly help her identify what is and isn’t working in her leadership? Perhaps she will have an opportunity to share her first-quarter plan and receive input from others she respects before launching it.
Do not be deterred by title, age, education or experience. Whether the initiative is targeted at new managers or senior leaders within an organization, there is not a single professional who has mastered his field. In fact, the more senior the position, the greater the challenges and the more valuable a development opportunity is to success. Even the most astute managers need to continually improve their ability to communicate, lead, coach and develop others — tasks made more complex by employees who are increasingly dispersed geographically and culturally different.
Susanne Biro is the Vancouver-based director of leadership coaching at Bluepoint Leadership Development and co-author of Unleashed! Expecting Greatness and Other Secrets of Coaching for Exceptional Performance. She can be reached at [email protected].
