HRBP - Partnering Leaders

In a HRBP role, you partner senior leaders. Why should they see you as a valuable partner?

If as a HRBP you are thinking about what will give you success or satisfaction, you are on wrong track. At best you will be tolerated.  You need to think ‘what’s right for business?’ and need to be perceived as ‘thinking about business’.

As a HR partner, you are going to have sometimes sensitive/confidential conversations with leaders. These conversations can only happen in a ‘safe space’.   Hence think of how to build ‘trust’ in partnership.

With different leaders, different styles of partnering work. Some like to use you as a sounding board, some prefer getting recommendations, some are more action oriented, some prefer thinking through problems before acting.  You need to spend time with leaders in various forms – individual meetings, staff meetings, town halls, etc  - to start understanding what style of partnership might work with him/her.

These are some of principles I find relevant when I partner leaders.

What are principles you use? What’s been your experience?

 

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Sourav

An Onboarding Mindset

In previous posts, I have talked about how an onboarding process can be created – a process that meets both aims of organization and onboarding individual.

But there’s an important piece in entire jigsaw – what ‘mindset’ should onboarding individual approach onboarding process with?  Crack this piece- and you might have set up lever that will ensure onboarding process stays on track.

Here are a few pointers on ‘an onboarding mindset’:

·         Its OK not to be OK: There will be extended periods of uncertainty/learning anxiety. You need to live with it. If you are relocating cities/countries, then add in the entire personal transition piece. Uncertainty might last for months – and even for a year. There’s no way out. You need to get comfortable with being ‘NOT OK’.

·         Student Mindset: 

o   Be curious to learn. Don’t let your past experience color your experience of new environment. Different is not necessarily bad. When you find something different, ask yourself ‘Why might it be this way? How might it make sense in current environment?’. You may not get answer immediately but stay at it.

o   At same time, keep on questioning what doesn’t make sense.

Essence basically is to keep a balance.

·         Professional mindset:

o   Figure out what are expectations from your job. Focus on identifying what uniquely you can bring to job that can create maximum impact for organization. Think of what are least ‘nuts and bolts’ you need to know to start performing on your job.

o   You are not alone. Identify and contract with those who will help you in onboarding process. A professional is not necessarily an ‘expert’. S/he’s focus is on effective outcomes. S/he’s not worried about being known as SME/expert – who should have all answers – or should have necessarily ‘owned’ entire piece.   A professional say ‘Thank You’, ‘I Need Help’, and ‘I am Sorry’ – when required.

o   Focus on building trust in important partnerships/relationships. That’s lubricant which will later ensure speed in these partnerships/relationships.

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Sourav

Leaders

What works with A doesn’t seem to work with B? But I meet them and work with them frequently. And then there also are C, D, E, and F.

I realize I am partnering 6 leaders for either their businesses or in specific projects.

While basic steps in partnering leaders don't change much, what certainly does change is way one partners. This revolves around way one gets work done while working with these leaders.

Let me illustrate through a few examples.

• How does one build working trust with leader? -through task completion or through first focusing on relationship
• How does leader take decisions? - does s/he prefer problems being stated and figuring out his/her own solutions or does s/he prefer hearing recommended solutions too?
• How does leader prefer interacting?-
• In person or comfortable with virtual meetings too
• Prefers agenda being shared beforehand or is ok getting a meeting without a pre-shared agenda.
• How does leader prefer hearing bad news? How does s/he prefer being disagreed with?- in person or comfortable over phone /emails too?
• What is level of structure/unstructure leader prefers? How much data/feeling/intuition driven is s/he?
• How far or near does leader draw organization boundaries and how permeable are those boundaries?  How does one ensure one's acceptance and effectiveness through those boundaries?

These are some of initial questions I have formed my workable answers around. I want to explore and develop these answers further in upcoming months.

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Sourav