A Great Job Description for HR?

I received the most recent issue of The Futurist, the publication of the World Future Society. (I have just joined because I want to be a futurist. Saying that reminds me of the movie It a Wonderful Life where young George Baily says "I am going to be an explorer, because I am a member of the National Geographic Society." ) Anyway, I digress. The first article I read was the featured one entitled Wisdom Facing Forward-What it Means to Have Heightened Future Consciousness, written by Tom Lombardo. Lombardo is a psychologist and is the director of the Center for Future Consciousness and is the author of The Evolution of Future Consciousness: The Nature and Historical Development of the Human Capacity to Think about the Future. He also wrote Contemporary Futurist Thought: Science Fiction, Future Studies, and Theories and Visions of the Future in the Last Century.

Ok, so far you are saying "so what?" while stiffiling a yawn. But stick with me, I will get to HR. In this article Lombardo connects wisdom and future consciousness. To him both require similar thought processes. As I read further I started to think this would be a good job description for the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). See if you agree. Lombardo defines wisdom as:

"...the continually evolving understanding of and fascination with the big picture of life and what is important, ethical, and meaningful; it includes the desire and ability to apply this understanding to enhance the well being of life, both of for oneself and for others.... wisdom sees the forest and not simply the trees. It searches to the horizen and beyond, and identifies what is really signigicant in life.... it combines knowledge with practical application (and) lastly wisdom has an ethical dimension. It is not simply self-serving, but is applied to the benefit of others."

Lombardo then goes on to define future consciousness as:

"...part of our general awareness of time, our consciousness of past, present, and future. It is the human capacity to have thoughts, feelings and goals about the future. It is the total integrative set of psychological abilities, processes and experiences that humans use to understand and deal with the future. Future consciousness covers everything in human psychology that pertains to the future."

To offer a summary statement Lombardo says "Wisdom brings the lessons of the past to the problems and challenges of today and tomorrow; heightened future consciousness see patterns across time and extrapolates from past and present into the future."

I don't know about you but that is a pretty good description of a skill set I would want to have in my CHRO. It sounds strategic. It embraces ethics and empathy. There is a future focus that allows proactive actions, yet maintains a touch point with the past.

Perhaps we should put more screening for wisdom in our HR hiring and promotion processes. What do you think? Know anyone in who exhibits both wisdom and future consciousness?

HR's Primary Role and How To Fulfill It

As I was reading Twitter posts today I came across one posted by a favorite of mine. Sharlyn Lauby, the HR Bartender, conducted an Interview with Libby Sartain. She is an author and speaker, the former board chair for SHRM and is famous as the proactive, forward-thinking Chief Human Resources Officer for both Southwest Airlines and Yahoo. She is, as Sharlyn calls her, "...the real deal – business savvy, HR smart, and volunteer leader." She is certainly a model for up-and-coming HR pros to follow.

In the interview she made a statement that made me say "Yes, she has it! What a perfect summary!" Her quote was:

"The primary role for HR is to ensure that the business succeeds by having

the right workforce in the right place at the right time.

There is so much more involved including strategic workforce planning and talent management,

the right rewards and recognition, flexibility to add and delete workers according to

business requirements. And, ensuring a culture that inspires and leads to a higher performance than the competition."

What is the skill set needed for this level of performance for HR? Here is my list:

1. Knowledge of the business your business is in. How can you know if you are finding the right people if you don't know what is needed. So you need to know your industry and your competition. And that means more than just the names.
2. You need to be a futurist. You need to know what is happening and what may happen. How are things like demographics, technology, social trends and legal developments going to impact your business. This is the proactive stuff. If you don't foresee it you are doomed to react to it.
3. You need to understand how your business operates, how it makes its money. If you don't you will  be adding or deleting people without understanding why. You can help upper management make reasoned decisions rather than just reacting to their perceived need to cut costs.
4. You need to know compensation and motivation. Remember her statement was "the right rewards".
5. You need to know the laws of the land. There are many "legal landmines" that can thwart your best efforts to run a good HR show. So know your stuff.
6. You need to have a "very good presence." All leaders (and that is what HR should be) at some point have to make a presentation, make a speech in front of a group of employees or an executive board, or represent the company in a public setting. Learn how to speak and to do so effectively. Get over that fear by going to a Toastmasters program or a Dale Carnegie class or even get a private coach.

Those are my thoughts on required skills. What would you add to it?

Thanks to Sharlyn Lauby and Libby Sartain for this stimulation! If you do not follow them both you should, you will learn a tremendous amount on a weekly basis. And I see Libby's most recent book, Brand for Talent: Eight Essentials to Make Your Talent As Famous As Your Brand, making its way to my bookshelf in the very near future.

Being A Strategic and Informed HR Professional: The Election Impact

Michael Moore of the Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Blog has produced an excellent analyis of pending legislation and the two presidential candidates postitions on that legislation. This is a MUST READ for all HR managers, regardless of how you may vote. You need to understand the impact of this legislation. See his Employer's Guide to the Election.

I posted on this a couple of days ago as well with a few other possibilities thrown in there as well. You need to read this stuff carefully. Like I said it does not make any difference for whom you vote. You need to understand this legislation and its impact on the workplace. Do not automatically pass on a piece of legislation just because it is passed by one party or another. Analyze each piece on its own merits. Then decide if you want your representative to vote for or against the legislation and let them know. You have to realize that once legislation is passed it almost NEVER GOES AWAY! We live with bad legislation and the impact on our workplace, our jobs and the jobs of our employees for a long time.

So, as part of your HR job, be an informed reader, advocate or opponent, and voter. Help your management team understand the potential impact on your business, whether or not you support it personally. Be strategic and a futurist. In fact you may want to forward Mr. Moore's blog to them (and mine as well.)

Stay tuned. I am sure this is not the last you will hear about this subject.