We hear the term HR so much that it’s easy to forget what it stands for.
What if we would focus the profession more on humans and less on the resources - more on figuring out the best way to accommodate the psychological side of organizations, and less on the programs, systems and logistics?
This is what Lucy Adams, former BBC HR director and author of ‘The HR Change Toolkit’, said in a recent interview:
“I think HR have become process experts rather than human behavioural experts. There is very little in the realm of performance management, for example, that genuinely works with good human behaviour.”
It’s understandable why programs, systems and procedures dominate the HR agenda, as they provide the measurability, accountability and predictability that most people and organizations long for. But if these processes are not designed to support good human behavior, that feeling of control is merely an illusion.
As Lucy Adams suggests, HR leaders should spend more time thinking about their own species rather than the processes. And maybe they should then use these newly acquired insights to facilitate better listening, more productive conversations and improved collaboration. Because, in the end, the effectiveness of an organization’s culture boils down to the quality of human interactions and relationships in the workplace.