The environment we operate in, is no longer reflective of what I would like to call the Corporate Machine. We are no longer into the ‘old’ paradigm in the 1900s where Fordism was the way it was done. Everyone assigned a perfect task, in a more than perfect industry. Authority and control were the modus operandi. The operating model was fit for a time where manufacturing was thriving, and in an environment where outcomes were more predictable. This is where we saw the rise of welfare secretaries, now known as HR. It is important to reflect on HR’s routes to really understand where we might have been blinded into developing in a different direction to the rest of the business world.
Now moving several decades forward and we talk about generation X, Y and even the millennials all having different needs. Jobs are no longer an end goal, people talk about career and about work life balance and always want more for less. HR has changed significantly since the 1900s, but I would argue that not necessarily at the right pace. We HR professionals have the right tools at our disposal, the professional curriculum, the technology and especially the rise of HR, but are we equipped to bring our clients and their organisations out there, to the next level?
Let’s face it, our working environment is quickly evolving, there is a constant introduction of disruptive technology, information is now information is now digitalised and democratised and there is a war on for new talent. A creative and knowledge based task has more value to an organisation. So how can we, as HR professionals acquire and retain the best talent for businesses that now involve more diverse needs than ever before?
Organisations are now living organisms. They strive for stability in an ever evolving context. HR needs to become even more than agile to ensure its long term development and survival. Power structures, bureaucracy, policy driven management structures, detailed organisation charts are becoming a thing of the past – enabling organisations to be their own nimble, living organisms living in a more agile way.
When enabling an Agile mentality to the HR function key questions need to be answered:
- Does your organisation have a shared vision and purpose?
- Can anyone in the organisation provide you with the 3 minutes elevator pitch?
- Is your resource allocation flexible and do you have an in depth understanding of your internal talent and potential?
- Are you as managers/leaders enabled to make decisions?
- Are they being held accountable for all?
- Is your business a community of professionals who enjoy working there?
- Are your business communications clear and transparent?
- Does everyone understand the value that they bring to your organisation and overall does your organisation provide value to the overall world? (and why no?)
When implementing new HR strategies through our services VeryHR focuses on the following areas from an Agile perspective:
- Building a network of empowered teams. Empowering leaders and managers to actually manage.
- Rapid decisions. Forget the rule books! Apply legislative regulations, protect the individual and enable more flexibility through empowerment. Have clear guidelines on what is expected of a professional, the rest….simply let them do their job.
- Ignite passion. Everyone wants to follow something bigger than themselves. The best sales stories are always about teamwork. About celebrations, about learning together. Ensure that your communication, your culture includes space to build passion for what everyone delivers each and every day.
Embrace technology – we are in the 21 century after all!