HR Business Partnership

We talk a lot about HR being a strategic partner to the business. But what are bedrocks that enable you to become a valuable partner?

Here are my experiences:

1)      Trust –business leaders and leadership team and you need to have a ‘trusting partnership’. You can start partnership with a default ‘trust’ status and then build on it through interactions and through early successes/joint work.

2)      Business understanding – if you have a understanding of business strategies, goals, challenges – and you are plugged into business rhythms – then you are perceived as ‘in boat’ with them. I am not asking you to become a ‘native’ – you are a partner and should have sufficient space to disagree or bring in your neutral perspective when required. But as old saying goes ‘To change the system, you gotta be in the system’.

3)      Networks – you should have a working relationship with important stakeholders in and outside business. This overlaps with trust angle but has its own space too. This is more to do with your ability to influence eco-system to get the work done.

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Sourav

A Good Read – Mc Gregor!

Well! When you come across a good read, you can’t let go off the book.

Douglas Mc Gregor is known for his work on Theory X and Y. I have been reading his seminal work ‘The Human Side of Enterprise’.

For the first half, the book trudges along. Like me, if you have read about and have some kind of a grasp of motivation theories then this part may not provide you any new insight.

In second half, the book really lights up. Mc Gregor delves into application of Theory Y in different contexts – staff-line relationships, development of managers, leadership style, HR processes (incentive plans, performance systems), and effective/non-effective teams.

I can safely say it is one of the best HR works I have read in recent times. Given I am in midst of partnering new leaders- I took away really valuable inputs on ‘staff-line’ relationships.

Certainly recommend this book. Do give it a read!

 

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Sourav