DISQUS

Looks good to me Frank - congratulations on the book - nothing more than you deserve!

Yes yes yes!

All the evidence is that organisations who invest in (especially) innovation when we are in a downturn come out fighting and become more successful as a consequence! Come on HR - speak up!

I have no idea what this post is about but I love the song and it looks like you had a good time. Well done Frank and the "Phils"!

Reminds me of the "tappers and listeners" idea from Covey.

This is a great way of getting the point you make over to people Frank.

Here is a shorhand version for a workshop

Take a senior person from the group - give them a tune everyone knows (happy birthday etc) and ask them to tap out the melody on a table with a pen.

Then ask the group to "name that tune". I have never met a group yet that gets it right. The good bit is when you ask the tapper how they felt - "frustrated" "isn't it obvious?" is what normally comes back - ah ha so communication isn't as easy as you thought!

Fantastic example of how powerful video and acting can be. This would make a good West Wing(the HR story) episode!

Interesting observation Frank. I think it is down to a combination of factors not least of which that HR people often just have very little to say. I get frustrated all the time when HR takes a neutral stance on business issues - for goodness sake have an opinion! We see this over in the UK in our professional magazines where most of the letters are written by consultants with very few contributions come from the corporates. Now perhaps they don't want to divulge thier secret HR leavers but I suspect it is simpler than that - they just have no opinion. Now, this could be seen as being a bit negative about our profession and in some sense this would be correct. However, I actually belive it is more about confidence and fear than capability. Meaning personal confidence and fear of saying something out of turn. The recent Terminal 5 mess at London airport points to a good example. The now ex HR director has written recently about how great everything was with this huge project. This was followed a few short weeks later by the whole thing going pear shaped largely due to poor implementation planning and techonolgy. As a good HR professional (which I believe this person is) time would have been much better spent telling us (an the organisation) about the challeges being faced than in blowing the trumpet of success built on very thin ice.

My old boss was called Global Operations Director (GOD)...now there is a job title.

Like the new look on the blog Frank!

I must be a geek too but even worse I'm an HR geek! We should form a Society for Geeks (wonder what that would be called?) and do geek stuff together.....

my one....To improve the reputation of the HR function and HR professional.

Lies damn lies and statistics! Whatever next - business growth v HR levers?

Socialize! Now it's not often I get cross at work but this is one of those words that makes me want to be sick every time I hear it. It should be a rule that if you use that word you should have to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3 for the rest of your life!

Nice idea. It's a bit like planting a seed one day and digging it up the next day to see if it has grown!

Link isn't working for me Frank - I'm in the middle of some work on this subject and would REALLY like to read this!

People like Kurt are rare indeed. It would be great in these troubled times if some of his vision could be done justice on the big screen!

Starter for 10 Frank!

http://mcarthursrant.blogspot.com/2007/11/appre...

Sounds like we need to mobilise a campaign!? Then again I thought that was what our professional bodies did?

Frank - you raise a really important point here.

As an HR professional, I’m get really tired of feeling like a target for the "boo boys".

For years research surveys have demonstrated the shortcomings of the human resources profession. It’s getting to be really boring story,

HR needs to be more “strategic”;

HR is too focused on administrative minutiae;

HR needs to be more aligned with the company’s business goals;

HR must be more adept at change management;

HR wants a “seat at the table”

…but HR people generally don’t have the business savvy to get there; etc.

Here is a shock! There is yet another study showing how HR does not know what needs to be done in organisations to really be trusted, strategic and a business partner (I still struggle with this term). Vertitude’s, headline says it all, “Working Together, Working Apart: When It Comes to Workforce Planning, HR and Business Leaders Agree Their Working Relationship Needs Work.”

The highlights of the study are both familiar and depressing:

• Strategy—“Both business and HR leaders agree that talent acquisition and recruitment top the list of strategic business issues, but one in five business leaders see HR as only involved in “implementing” strategy, not participating in plan development. What’s more, a common perception is that HR is lacking adequate financial aptitude and therefore is not asked to contribute to strategy development because they do not speak the language of business.”

• A “Seat at the Table”—“Many business leaders indicate they do not have an established relationship with HR or it world not occur to them to include HR in implementing workforce plans. In general HR leaders agree that business leaders minimize the role that HR plays in workforce planning and don’t consider the full scope of HR’s ability and expertise.”

• Driving Change—“Business leaders perceive HR as ‘resource constrained’ and, as such, unable to effectively implement workforce plans. In turn, HR believes business leaders set unrealistic timeframes, lack an understanding of workforce issues, and are inconsistent in implementing initiatives.”

In reading the summary of the research study, it’s clear that Veritude has gone out of its way to be as positive in presenting these results, but it is also clear that the song remains the same, despite all the talk and anger over “Why We Hate HR,” nothing has really changed.

HR people need to develop their change management skills to be effective in today’s changing and busy business world. I can only wonder when the HR profession finally will find the means to fight back, rather than absorbing a new pummeling every few weeks.

The good thing about this sort of thing is that it makes you think. It falls well into the Heath brothers notion that creativity needs a framework.

If you work out how to get one of these please bottle it and send me a 6 pack!

Interesting idea - rational v creative HR!

For me HR should be about about creating "meaning" for the workforce - both internal and external. More from me on this very soon Frank.

Good idea!

Here's a few from me,

1. Don't allow yourself to be greenwashed
2. Stop typing on your laptop when someone comes up to talk to you
3. Don't wait for your employer to train you - we are ALL self employed!
4. Don't think of a pink elephant!
5. Don't publish lists that start with "don't"

Did you think of a pink elephant?

Cheers from the UK


Scott

Love to Frank - I'm on holiday right now but will be back and blogging from the 27th. Lets catch up on the email?

As far as UK artists - where to start? I love the song Tank Park Salute by Billy Bragg - I will post it on my blog for you and your readers to hear. the words are simply stunning.

Music is a unique and powerful form of communication for sure. I have tried to come up with some ways of using it with my clients but as yet I don't seem to have managed to get it right. I have used it as a way to remember stuff - chapters in a book, key points from a lecture etc but I'm still not able to hit the spot with using music as a "technique".

Any ideas or experience?

Oh and I like the song - Blues Traveler have never really made it over here in the UK and although I had heard of them I must confess I'm new to their music!

Great idea Frank - will be really interetsting to see the results.