Learning and Development (L and D) or Human Resources (HR) professionals always refer to wanting the elusive “seat at the table” yet are they really in tuned with the business needs of the organization? What hidden departmental or personal agendas are behind self-aggrandizing behavior? What is the root cause of this longstanding issue?
The human side of organizations tends to fall into the “soft and fuzzy” and often the HR category, whereas the hard core economics and bottom line number crunching falls to the C-Suite (CFO, CEO, COO) that serves as the senior management team. Power, credibility and trust must be earned through regular communications and supportive actions that serve the business. Speaking to the ‘business results’ and how to best align workforce learning and performance to achieve them, is critical. If trainers or HR professionals are not making that connection and at least attempting to do ROI projections of proposed initiatives or programs, it is unlikely that senior management will pay enough attention to keep Training and HR on their radar (let alone consider them as partners).
How do HR and Training folks get ‘a seat at the table’? They need to discover what the current core business results are and what the desired results are, in order to understand the performance gap and how to influence the workforce to close it. Knowledge of strategic thinking is the key to credibility building, along with business acumen to speak to “value-adding” ideas, and laying the foundation for strategic business partnerships. Speaking with line managers regularly and asking for ongoing feedback and suggestions – not just on the annual employee survey – will foster these ties to the business’ results.
Another strategy for transitioning to a strategic business partner role is to avoid being an “order taker” ready to cook up a training program when there’s no evidence of a lack of knowledge or skill in the target audience (i.e. no demonstrable need for training). At the same time L an D/HR professionals must be mindful that “learning” is all encompassing compared to simply “training.” L and D may include sponsored tuition, mentorships, job aids, informal learning, tuition reimbursement and such. L and D and work environment changes resulting in performance improvement are what counts for strategic partners. That is, the proof is in the pudding.
Identifying root causes and desired conditions through performance needs analysis involves people-centered research for data-driven solution(s) that align the workforce with the workplace. Having a strategic business partner recognize your organization’s strengths, is a valuable starting point that bridges to objective recommendations for leveraging performance improvement. Applying evidence-based practice in research and practice for “our greatest assets” (i.e. people) benefits from having an external consultant provide much-needed insights. For your organization’s Complimentary Strategy Session, contact Performance Solutions Corp. www.performcorp.ca
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