Read a good article a few weeks ago by the Associated Press business staff, Surprise! You’ve become a manager. Now what, which explores a couple of concepts with new managers:
1. Assess what you’re doing, and does it fit the goals of the organization;
2. Accomplish something everyday (keep the number small – i.e., 3 tasks).
The tendency for new managers, especially HR Managers thrust into a generalist role, is to get buried with tasks. We all know the drill, you get started at the new company, and by day 3 you already have so many projects, improvements, process changes, etc. that need to be made you determine you probably have about 18 months worth of work – and maybe the grass was greener at your last position.
Whether you’re a new manager, or seasoned HR Pro, we tend to forget the above concepts from time-to-time and get bogged down in the everyday details within HR Departments. So, for the new HR Managers (and maybe some seasoned vets) I wanted to give you 3 tasks that should be accomplished everyday as a HR Manager – who is strategic and adding value to your organization:
1. Keep Track of the Score,
2. Find Better Talent,
3. Be a Relationship Bridge.
Keeping track of the score, means you must create and track metrics, for your people practices, that have bottom-line impact to your organization. Communicate these constantly and educate your organization on how they can impact these results.
Finding better talent for your organization is really the only reason the HR Department exists. If you did only this all day, every day – your company would be better for it. No, having a better dress code policy isn’t going to make you world class. In the end, Talent wins.
The single largest factor to inefficiency isn’t bad processes, it’s bad, or non-existent, relationships. It is your job to develop your leaders, and part of that is helping them understand the value of each part of the organization and getting them to dance with each other. Being a bridge, and bringing leaders together, with understanding will have the greatest impact on efficiency. Leaders understanding, and actually knowing, each others pain will solve most organizational problems. Why? Because you hire great talent – great talent with good relationships will move mountains and get you to world class. Never underestimate the power of relationships (good and bad).
Show me a leader who claims they can “work around” someone (meaning they don’t get along with that person) – and I’ll show you a below average leader who needs to leave your organization. New, and seasoned, HR Managers underestimate the leverage they have at helping organizational efficiency through better relationships.
Hear, hear brother. The new trifecta