HR Strategies.

Satish Bendigiri

An Abuse A Day Keeps A Sychophant Away!

Indeed! Try the above if you don’t believe in apple polishing.

In the recent past there was a post on LinkedIn Why a particular bunch of people who had chosen HR but their answers were pretty novice.

Here I would like to advise these copycats that before becoming HR Manager how should a person know more about the environment he is entering.

There is an old Yoruba saying that goes like this: "Yasim Ko wori fiffon, Baba watamabelorun komole." When translated it means that 'just as studying Arabic will not cure your headache so too our father who are in heaven cannot (on his own) catch a thief. In the present context we can adept it to imply that merely having MBA in HR, a
good plan and strategy is not enough, since the plan and strategy has to relate to objective reality of the organisation. Organizational values, which are thought based concepts, have to be followed by ethics, which is an activity based concept.HR executive, therefore must first define what he wants and where he presently is. Then he should be able to diagnose thoroughly the situation to discover the real set up. Once this is done he can design his strategy and formulate his methods to achieve the desired objectives vis a vis present objectives. This having been done he can develop his intervention by involving representatives of all stakeholders so that decisions in relation to the organisation are taken democratically.
Finally when all the loose ends are tied up he should deliver his strategy and actualize his plans. Since the decision was taken unanimously, every one who mattered and was involved can claim ownership of it and so implementation of the same will raise little dust. An HR Manager who works only to please his/her boss irrespective of professional codes is without doubt an insult to his /her genre. So leaders cannot be nurtured. They emerged as leaders only after they got their quota of nourishment. Similarly talent pools cannot be built overnight . The bridges are always under construction. Hence an entry level HR executive who believes in bringing changes through interventions must stop apple polishing and save your butt attitude.
Axioms of HR.
HR is a profession that is based on a scientific method. The process of decision making is scientific. But since human beings are involved and emotions come into play, decision execution is an art.
* Before you go about making a change make sure that the environment has accepted you. Observe and learn before you act. There will be some stumbling blocks which should be marginalized.
* Never be afraid to challenge existing ways of doing things and question the reasons for time honoured process and procedures. Create newer methods while discarding old and unnecessary. Experiment wisely and with utmost caution.
* Always take decisions in a democratic way but follow them through with autocratic zeal.
* Make sure you admonish an errant employee in private but praise well in public making sure that admonishment and praise is seldom mixed in same message.
* Never allow the procedure of administration to overshadow the purpose of administration.
* Not only you must pursue equity, fairness and justice but also be seen to have pursued them in the process of decision making and decision execution.
* The bottleneck, by definition must be at the end of the bottle and so it will be in administration too. You must concentrate to bring changes at that level first.
* Documentation is the key to understanding how and why organizations function. Care must be taken to see that cost of documentation is less than its utility.
* Never indulge in or even encourage politicking. Be wary of those who speak ill of others to you when others are not around. They could just as easily doing the same with you when you are not around. This is especially true for women who easily fall prey to gossiping. Uski saree meri saree se safed kyon?
* Go entirely on documentary evidence when taking decisions and yet always consider the human aspect of management first. Documents can be falsified and what is written is not necessarily the whole truth. Many things go unspoken as majority indulges in organizational politics.
* Stop protecting your rear. Stand out and be counted. If you don't do this your actions will be doubted and they will be contra progress.
* Never be afraid to change yourself and never stop learning else you will be obsolete.
* Nip all the rumors in the bud by keeping communication channels open judiciously. As a superior strategic officer you are one among them and not one of them. Therefore do not let the regular communication become reason for familiarity.
* Keep a healthy and respectful distance from mediocrat-bureaucrat. Do not antagonize him. Some day who knows he may become handy so let him be in a corner feeling important.
* Trust and respect are always mutual. If you want them then learn to give them but with due diligence.
* Understand that individual excellence is good but not enough. What is needed is trust, team work and transparency and synergy the team brings about.
* Whatever you do, remember that man the beginning and end of all analysis. He is the subject and the object of all inquiry. Hence people come first.
Thus the strategic function of HR becomes a part of top management and can notbe outsourced. Specialized functions such as training, recruitment and diagnosis can easily be outsourced to expert agencies. The administrative functions also can be outsourced. But the HR function does not loose its importance. In fact as a specialized body it is charged with servicing the needs of more than one corporate client and to render meaningful service it has to be value based and value driven at the same time, helping the organization to move towards a state of excellence.
Dr Satish.