leadership – Page 7

October 24, 2019June 29, 2023

Inclusiveness Is Not a New Leadership Competency

In most organizations today, leadership competencies are being revised due to the impact of the changing dynamics of globalization, technology advancements and demographic shifts.

Among these revisions, there is a significant focus on inclusiveness as a distinguishing leadership competency.

It is my contention that inclusiveness is not a new leadership competency. Leadership hasn’t fundamentally changed, and inclusive ways of working have always been a part of the traits and skills that leaders need to exhibit.

Many aspects of inclusive leadership are connected to more traditional leadership competencies:

Open-mindedness: Inclusiveness is characterized by having a mind both open and attuned to differences. Inclusive leaders value differences, exhibit curiosity to know more about the world around them and are not opposed to being proven wrong in the spirit of learning.

This is not very different from the learning agility that we expect leaders to demonstrate, in terms of quickly grasping and adapting to changes. Understanding the limiting nature of beliefs (whether their own or that of others) helps leaders be open to change and more diverse experiences that can expand their beliefs and views.

Freedom to dissent: The role of a leader is critical in fostering an inclusive climate at the workplace. This entails creating an environment where employees feel safe and empowered to dissent with and challenge each other.

Not surprisingly, this has always been a leadership requirement as it promotes divergent viewpoints that are fundamental to sustaining innovation and creativity in the organization. The courage to question norms and the freedom to take risks is also a characteristic of teams and leaders that zealously guard their integrity.

Awareness and understanding: Inclusiveness begins with a better understanding of self. There is a need to be conscious and mindful of our biases (conscious and unconscious) and mental blind spots.

Checking for biases is not just good for a healthy work environment. Biases are threats to clear judgment, and any decision-making or critical thinking competency has an aspect of developing awareness of one’s biases.

However, enhanced self-awareness is not enough. There is also a need to accept and respect others’ beliefs and choices. Respect is a fundamental leadership trait that cuts across several competencies like collaboration and interpersonal effectiveness.

Empathy: Empathy is the ability to view things from different perspectives. It is a step above acknowledging or respecting differences. Authentic inclusiveness stems from an ability to place oneself in someone else’s shoes to understand their point of view and their approaches and challenges.

This is a fundamental trait that helps people relate to each other on a deeper level and is a building block of effective communication. Even with a homogeneous team, an empathetic leader is likely to connect with the team members more effectively than an unempathetic one.

Inclusiveness, then, is not new. Neither is diversity, for that matter. This should be reassuring for leaders and stakeholders invested in employee and leadership development. The focus on inclusiveness is not a fad. It is not a half-baked reaction to emerging workplace developments. It is a fundamental leadership challenge about bringing people together with different personalities, backgrounds, mindsets and ways of working in a way that allows them to contribute their whole selves, leading to significant competitive advantage over homogeneous or conforming teams.

Also read: Inclusiveness is a Two-Way Street

September 16, 2019June 29, 2023

Love, Life and Career — Chasing the Trifecta

Stefanie Coleman

As I think about the workplace issues faced by my clients, I can’t help but reflect on my personal life and how there might be some parallels. Supervising a toddler’s play date through the corner of an eye, holding my newborn in one arm while typing this opinion piece with the other and a light bulb switched on for me. To authentically reflect this chapter of my life and the workforce issues that matter most to me right now, I have to blog about flexibility. For me, there is nothing else so top of mind.

Since 2007, I’ve advised firms around the world on all kinds of workforce issues including flexibility. Over the course of my travels, I’ve had world-class mentors, both men and women alike.

Within this group, there is a set of common traits that I strive to emulate. They successfully balance the three important attributes of the trifecta: love, life and career.

If you are career-oriented, balancing the three components of the trifecta is an important condition for living a happy and fulfilled life. And, when done properly, it improves your chances of success in the workplace.

In the United States alone, despite relatively low levels of violent crime and unemployment, coupled with steadily rising income per capita over the last few decades, general happiness within the population is declining. The 2019 World Happiness Report describes this relationship as the Easterlin Paradox, where despite rising standards of living, happiness levels trend inverse. This is attributed to a variety of factors, one of which includes digital advancement — ironically, an urgent business opportunity for most executives.

Another reason for the Easterlin Paradox could be the growing workload faced by many employees in today’s workforce. In fact, HR leaders (particularly in North America) consider unmanageable workloads a key risk to their people experience. In response, several firms have prioritized wellness strategies as a means to remediate. To do so, establishing the link to flexibility is key. Wellness and flexibility cannot be decoupled. They go hand-in-hand.

Good flexibility programs help employees balance the trifecta.

Empower employees to spend meaningful and undistracted time with their loved ones and to invest in starting and/or growing loving relationships.
Give employees adequate opportunities to enjoy their lives by engaging in leisure activities, pursuing personal passions and participating in social and/or community networks.
Create a professional environment where love and life are celebrated and where making investments of time in these two components of the trifecta will enhance an employee’s career, as opposed to harming it.

The equation is pretty simple: Organizations that offer flexibility are more likely to have engaged workers. Engaged workers are more likely to be productive. Productivity leads to heightened levels of business performance. Performance strengthens the employer brand. Top talent likes top brands.

In a job seeker’s market where, at least in the United States, there are more open positions than available talent, firms cannot afford to be inflexible if they want to gain the competitive advantage in a growing war for talent.

But where to start? Consider these five tips for paving the way to a flexible future:

Establish flexible HR policies. Consider a work from home or casual dress policy. Think about an unlimited or mandated vacation policy and how this might impact well-being. Offer flex-time so employees can adapt their work hours to complement their lifestyle (to honor family, health and spiritual commitments).
Lead by example. Flexible HR policies are meaningless when not adopted. Sometimes, workers do not take advantage of these policies in fear of retribution if leaders do not walk the talk. It’s important that leaders give employees permission to partake by taking advantage of these policies themselves.
Consider diversity. Flexibility means different things to different people. For example, what might flexibility mean to a parent? How about someone transitioning to retirement? A caregiver? Someone with standing religious commitments? A single person?

With more diversity in the workplace than ever before, it’s important to take into account diverse needs when designing flexibility programs. A one-size approach to flexibility could offer an inflexible result.

Invest in technology. If the goal is to free up more time for employees for their personal use, offer state of the art technology that enables efficient work from home and mitigates unnecessary travel to the workplace or to meetings (particularly, where distance/air travel is required).
Monitor well-being and flexibility. To understand the return on investment in flexibility, establish a correlation to well-being metrics and other business outcomes and monitor this over time. Also, review the unintended consequences of “unsupervised” flexibility and put the necessary controls in place. For example, monitor patterns in remote working periodically to make sure people are still coming on-site to work and collaborate when necessary, while taking advantage of the policy when it’s not.

There are many ways to bring more flexibility to the workforce. However, as is sometimes the case with people programs, efforts to enhance flexibility will be futile when leadership support is not in place. While these are best enabled by HR, visible C-suite sponsorship is critical. Remember this before getting into tactics, as getting the leadership team on board first will be a worthy and very important next step.

September 13, 2019June 29, 2023

Disrupting the Disruptors: How Incumbent Leaders Can Beat Challengers at Their Own Game

Leading companies today embody the concept of “disruptor.” They are fast-growing, digital players that are introducing innovative new business models and revenue streams and forcing incumbents to rethink their businesses.

Businesses are on track to spend nearly $1.2 trillion on digital efforts this year as they seek a competitive edge over their peers, according to IDC research. These top companies typically have leaders at the helm who are helping redefine how businesses and customers interact.

It’s time we stop focusing on what disruptors are doing and instead shift our attention to how other companies can compete. Legacy companies with the right leadership and stakeholder priorities supersede disruptors. In fact, traditional players have a significant opportunity to transform their companies and their C-suite to make a lasting impact and respond to the disruptive forces around them.

As with any big reward, risk is required. It requires a new way of thinking and a new way of doing things from the top down. The C-suite, the most crucial piece of the puzzle, must leave status quo leadership styles behind and learn new skills to compete in this age of disruption.

Where Is the Pressure Coming From?

Beyond introducing new business models and harnessing innovative technologies, disruptors have changed the playing field of consumer expectations. According to research by my organization, Accenture Strategy, 74 percent of C-suite leaders say the disruptive impact of constantly shifting customer demands has increased and has added considerable complexity to the business landscape.

Coupled with these shifting customer expectations is a set of stakeholders with specific expectations of company leaders, according to a recent report from Accenture Strategy titled “Whole-Brain Leadership: The New Rules of Engagement for the C-suite.” The report, released this past June, is based on interviews with 200 C-suite executives and surveys of more than 11,000 employees and consumers globally.

Changing the C-Suite DNA

With these disruptive forces converging on the C-suite, leaders must respond to the tides of change both by doing things differently and doing different things. Reskilling to change the DNA of leadership is now crucial to building enduring businesses and achieving competitive agility.

The majority (89 percent) of today’s C-suite leaders hold business, science or technology degrees and have honed “left-brain” skills — like critical reasoning, decision-making and results-orientation. Furthermore, 65 percent say their “right-brain” skills are weakest and recognize the need to strengthen their right-brain skills — including empathy and intuition — for a well-rounded “whole-brain” approach. Not only is adopting a progressive whole-brain leadership approach good for building diversified thinking and decisions, it’s also good for the bottom line. Our research shows a correlation with stronger financials — 22 percent higher revenue growth and 34 percent higher profitability growth (as measured by EBITDA) — for those companies using a whole-brain approach today.

Adopting a Whole-Brained Approach

C-suite leaders can unlock a whole-brain approach to leadership that applies new, richer depths of left-brain skills with more tangible applications of right-brain skills and secure the future of their companies by:

Addressing the skills gap: Changing the mix of leaders at the top of companies will help address the current skills gap. Today, 9 in 10 C-suite executives are already taking action by using organic and inorganic ways to tackle the problem. Over half (55 percent) of leaders are currently reskilling C-suite members, and 46 percent are bringing in new C-suite talent from outside their organization.
Redefining traditional leadership: Customer expectations demand a new type of leader, as this group has a clear view of what they think are important skills and behaviors for C-suite leaders to possess. Leaders need to pivot and develop a leadership style that balances traditional, left-directed skills, right-directed skills and human-centered capabilities.
Driving change deep and wide: Proactively ingraining right- and left-brain skills into the leadership of organizations is crucial to longevity and competitiveness. The C-suite must build these balanced skills and use them at both the organizational and individual level. They also need to plant seeds for the future by building this required skillset into their recruiting strategy.

Disruptors are forcing incumbents to challenge the status quo, pushing them to look outward to unlock growth and value, all while surviving waves of disruption. Through a new leadership mindset that balances left-led analytical thinking with a right-led human centered compass, it’s possible for incumbents to disrupt the disruptors.

August 5, 2019June 29, 2023

Workplaces Becoming a Stage for Corporate and Social Movements

In an era in which making your voice heard is more possible than ever, employees are empowering themselves and one another to incite real change in their workplaces.

A recent study conducted by global communications firm Weber Shandwick, in partnership with United Minds and KRC Research, delved into the recent phenomena of employee activism and how it is shaping workplaces and relationships between employees and their companies.

The genesis of the study, according to Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist at Weber Shandwick, is tied to recent activist movements by employees at Amazon and Wayfair.

“We firmly believe this is a movement that’s going to capture people’s imagination and their voices going forward, especially amongst the next generation who believe that they can make a difference,” Gaines-Ross said.

The study explores various facets of employee activism, identifying which demographics of the workforce are most likely to participate in social movements and gauging the impact that employees see their actions having.

One of the more significant findings was that millennials were the most likely to be employee activists at 48 percent, as opposed to Gen Xers at 33 percent and baby boomers at 27 percent.

Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist, Weber Shandwick

“[Millennials] have grown up with technology. [They] see that when you connect and are a part of a network that you can create change [and] that you can make a difference,” Gaines-Ross said. “They’ve seen that in their lifetime.

“I also believe that they are very passionate about the role of institutions in society. The rewarding thing to me was to see that many of these millennial employees who are speaking out want to work for companies that have a purpose. That’s what they’re looking for, and employee activism fits right in there.”

The idea that employees want their companies to be purpose-driven comes through in how they view their own activism, too — 38 percent of employees replied that they were speaking up about company-related and social issues, indicating a sense that their impact can be widespread.

“In the study we asked them who they were hoping to influence, and I think there’s a cynical sort of attitude like, ‘Oh, they’re just trying to get media attention or something.’ But that’s not the case,” Gaines-Ross said.

The study also indicated that the end goal of many of these employee-led movements is to create more equitable, sustainable workplaces across policy areas.

Prominent workplaces issues today include income disparity, gender equity, climate change and racism, Gaines-Ross said. “All of these things that are on people’s minds — they’re trying to change their own organizations where they spend so much time to reflect properly what’s happening in the greater world,” she added.

And for human resources leaders, this means keeping an ear to the ground and adopting more nuanced ways to communicate between employees and leadership.

“It takes a different kind of approach than a traditional employee engagement survey that goes on every year,” said Kate Bullinger, president of management consultancy UnitedMinds. “We need to start prepping leaders for how to be more proactive and transparent in their thinking. That’s the job of HR to start coaching leaders in how to think differently about it.”

Bullinger again cited the employee activist movement at Wayfair, where approximately 10 percent of the company walked out in protest of the company’s decision to sell $200,000 worth of furniture to immigration detention camps at the United States southern border. She noted that feelings of resentment for that decision were likely percolating for a while among employees, and both HR and communications teams could have been more in tune with those sentiments earlier.

“It’s really got to be a close partnership between HR and communications,” Bullinger said. “It’s sort of a multi-pronged issue. You’ve got to have the right stakeholders involved.”

People and ideas are becoming more widely connected every day, and so employee activism is projected to be a phenomenon that only keeps growing.

“The number one thing that [employees] wanted to influence was their employer’s policies and actions,” Gaines-Ross said. “They are aiming to influence the culture, the structure and purpose of their organization.”

July 25, 2019June 29, 2023

The Benefits of a Productive Relationship Between the CEO and CHRO

The relationship between a CEO and chief human resources officer is arguably the most unique in the corporate world.

When fostered strategically, the dynamic between the person at the helm of the company and the head of human resources can drive a business to greater heights. However, when that dynamic is one of misalignment or blurred responsibilities, it can singlehandedly take an organization down unproductive paths.

Many key executives report directly to the CEO — for example, the chief financial officer. This is typically someone with a highly specialized background in finance who has grown through the management ranks into the executive level.

When CEOs and CFOs interact, the dynamic is one where the CEO relies heavily on a CFO’s extensive knowledge of financial best practices. The CEO sees a clear line between responsibilities for their role and the CFO’s role, and understands they must rely on the CFO to ensure financial processes and decisions support the overall strategy.

Oftentimes a CEO’s leadership team is viewed as a three-legged stool between the CEO, CFO and CHRO. Unfortunately, the relationship between the CEO and CHRO is not as clear-cut, causing confusion and frustration.

One study found that only 11 percent of CEOs view their HR chiefs as anticipators, able to forecast talent needs and provide the insights that support business planning. When HR is viewed as reactive and not strategic, CHROs are not given opportunity to demonstrate how their expertise can add value. Too often, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy relegating HR to an administrative, rather than strategic, function.

Trusted Adviser

Why are CEO-CFO relationships generally more productive than CEO-CHRO relationships? Many CEOs have spent meaningful time in P&L roles where they’ve gained a strong foundation in sales, marketing, finance and operations. Some have even held significant staff roles in those functions.

Very few have ever rotated through HR. Ironically, many CEOs fancy themselves as HR experts with an innate ability to identify, select and develop talent. Some do excel at this, but many do not. It’s a delicate situation for CHROs to address. It takes courage, finesse and credibility to become a trusted adviser.

Mary Barra, chairman and CEO of General Motors, is a rare example of a CEO who spent meaningful time in HR. From 2009 through 2011, Barra served as vice president, global human resources. Her earlier experience included stints in engineering, manufacturing and product development. Shortly after becoming CEO, Barra took a page out of her HR playbook when she decided to change GM’s archaic 10-page dress code policy to two words: “Dress Appropriately.”

On the surface, this might appear to be a mundane issue for a CEO to focus on. In reality, it was a brilliant move to send a clear message on empowering people to lead. Ironically, the HR department posed the biggest hurdle.

In a recent article in Entrepreneur, CEOs are said to want four things out of HR: match talent resources with company strategy; help attract the best and brightest; deliver excellence in the onboarding process; and foster employee engagement.

It’s interesting to note that, in Entrepreneur’s above four points, there is no mention of compliance, policies, cost-per-hire or other baseline tactical issues. Over the years, CFOs have earned a “seat at the table” by focusing on the more strategic issues while delegating day-to-day tasks such as accounting, controls and financial reporting. The truly exceptional CHROs have been able to do the same, however, their numbers are few. Many CHROs are still considered by the CEO to be administratively minded, and that’s why they are unable to attain or keep their seat at the table.

Moving Forward Collaboratively

There is another interesting phenomenon in the CEO-CHRO relationship. While most CEOs express a desire to have a strategic CHRO on his or her team, few really understand what that truly means. In some cases, they have had limited interaction with a strategic HR leader and can’t comprehend how that function will impact business. These CEOs often have a difficult time assessing CHRO abilities and actual performance. In other cases, the CEO understands the value of a strategic HR partner, but the organization is not ready for that type of transformational leader.

Naturally, every company has its own unique dynamics that shape the relationships within it, especially between the CEO and the CHRO. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, is often credited with embracing the value of HR and changing the way the function is viewed. During his tenure as CEO, GE’s CHRO was Bill Conaty who had a great deal of business and financial acumen. As a result, Welch involved Conaty in most major business decisions.

Not every CEO will utilize the HR function to its fullest potential. For those who do, however, the results will be significant assuming the CHRO is up to the task.

July 16, 2019June 29, 2023

Playing the Game of Baby Boomer Bingo

It’s no secret that the retirement of baby boomers is contributing to a shortage of workers.

Recent reports show that the United States is predicted to see a 38 percent increase in the over-65 population between 2015 and 2025, while the U.S. population of those between ages 18 and 64 is only expected to rise by 3 percent. Baby boomers are estimated to comprise 15 percent of the total global population, according to a resource on website employmentcounselor.net.

Around the world, employers are trying to retain these tenured resources with creative incentives. Some countries are increasing wages, and others are increasing retirement ages.

At the same time, companies are finding that the work styles of baby boomers are changing. After long careers spent largely working as traditional, full-time employees, many in this generation are shying away from retirement and are instead looking for smaller, more flexible work as contractors or consultants. In a tight labor market, this shift can be a significant opportunity for employers desiring the deep level of subject matter expertise, hard and soft skills, and management experience that boomers carry.

Boomers’ preference to continue working can be a big win for any company. To keep this generation in the workforce, however, companies will have to embrace several basic approaches to improve worker engagement. These approaches include creating flexible schedules and engagement models, partnering with senior workers in their career progression, and empowering senior workers with technology.

Embrace Flexibility

As baby boomers find their own balance between easing into retirement and staying productive, employers can aid the transition by providing flexible work options and alternative engagement models. For example, consider the sales executive who looks forward to cutting the hourlong commute from her morning or evening schedule.

For the employee, retirement may be a big, drastic step, but the personal and lifestyle benefits of removing the commute, even if just a few days per week, outweigh the anxieties of not working. By engaging that worker in meaningful dialogue around her real needs and proactively offering remote work as an option, the employer can dramatically alter the equation, often resulting in the employee staying on board for several valuable years. Similarly, flexibility in scheduling may include four-day weeks or alternative hours.

Along with schedule adjustments, an open mind about engagement models is also an advantage. Talent may come in the form of consultants or contractors, allowing a more flexible engagement model.

Hiring managers need to become comfortable in looking at both traditional employees and flexible workers when considering talent needs. That level of comfort requires an environment that enables the employer to quickly and easily identify and access all available talent, including permanent employment candidates and contractors alike.

Become a Career Partner

When employing baby boomers, it is critical to partner with them in their career progression and understand what they want from the position, as well as their overall career goals. For example, they may be interested in expanding their skills.

From technology to processes and new fields of expertise, workers of all generations value learning, and employers would do well to meet their needs with appropriate resources and learning programs. Likewise, visibility into job openings across the company is also valuable to pre-retirement workers. What the boomers desire in development (or increased flexibility) may come simply in the form of a role in a different department or functional group.

Along with traditional training opportunities and job visibility, boomers can benefit greatly from the give and take of knowledge transfer among workers in the organization. Mentorships are an obvious option for knowledge sharing from pre-retirement workers to those of other generations. Less obvious, but just as important, are reverse mentorship arrangements that give pre-retirement workers a chance to learn from younger generations.

Provide Up-to-Date Technology

Employers wishing to continue working with highly skilled baby boomers should not only provide them with workplace flexibility but also enable them to do that work with easy and transparent digital interactions. While baby boomers may have lived a substantial portion of their lives before the rise of digital communication, they also have grown accustomed to the consumer experience of using applications for everything from shopping on their phone to using Facetime to connect with distant family members.

In the workplace, baby boomers can benefit from the same level of technology enablement. For example, the use of cloud-based technologies for collaboration should make workflow, documentation, feedback, and approvals on projects transparent and accessible any time, any place.

Likewise, telecommuting tools like videoconferencing are no longer new, but many organizations have not fully adopted the concept in their core business. As more boomers opt to avoid or reduce the number of days spent commuting to onsite locations, use of these tools will become more widely accepted as part of corporate cultures and more widely sought after by generations approaching retirement.

Make Workplace Accessibility a Priority

Regardless of age, employees need to believe that their employer is committed to their well-being, and removing barriers to access is an important part of that commitment.

For workers with disabilities, an employer’s commitment to improving employees’ ability to utilize physical and virtual resources can be instrumental to a positive work experience. Considering that the percentage of the U.S. population with a disability jumps from 10.6 percent for those between 18 and 64 to more than 35 percent for those over 65, according to research by the University of New Hampshire, the importance of access and accommodation for baby boomers is clear.

The most obvious example of accessibility is the corporate website. Captions with audio and video, along with visual options such as larger formats and contrasting color schemes, can help to ensure that the employer does not place unnecessary barriers to work and interaction for employees.

Many organizations can help companies assess their accessibility and provide paths for improvement. At the same time, employers should consider that accessibility often leads to a better experience for everyone and not just workers with disabilities.

Engaging Talent of All Ages

Organizations will continue to compete for valuable baby boomer talent. The competition may come from different employers, or it may come in the form of competing life choices, from full retirement to relocation. In all cases, core principles that drive great talent engagement will make the difference between employers that successfully engage baby boomers and those that miss out on the opportunity these workers present.

These commitments — being flexible, empowering their careers, and providing the right tools and technology to get work done — are more than strategies for recruiting senior workers. They are basic paths for any company to become a better employer to the people it hires and aims to retain, whatever their age and experience group. When it comes to attracting and retaining talent of any age, what’s good for people is good for business.

Keep Looking Ahead

Companies face persistent challenges in attracting, finding and retaining critical talent. They are struggling to get work done in a market where demographics are shifting, and the technology is constantly evolving.

When positioning a talent acquisition strategy to better engage the workforce, regardless of generation, an open mind for change is essential. A new solution may supplant the technology that works today for virtual work.

The model that engages pre-retirement professionals as consultants may evolve as part of a total talent approach. Amid such conditions, the leaders, today and in the future, will be the employers that continually question how work gets done, who needs to do it, and how they will go about securing that talent.

July 10, 2019June 29, 2023

3 Ways to Cultivate a Global Business Mindset

In today’s increasingly connected and international marketplace, HR professionals who have a strong understanding of global dynamics are going to have an advantage. The question I hear often is “How do I develop that global mindset?”

Many people in HR assume they can’t travel abroad and build valuable global knowledge unless their company sends them on an official work trip overseas. The reality is that you can take that initiative yourself and learn to become an effective global leader — whether you travel abroad regularly or not — and there’s a good chance your employer will take notice if you do.

Develop global relationships online: No matter what function you’re in within an organization, there’s a global community you can join via Facebook, LinkedIn or a professional association. These online communities are excellent ways to connect with your peers in other parts of the world and start meaningful conversations.

Investing time and energy in global social media groups can both help you with your professional development and expand your understanding of the global scope of your industry — all from your home or office.

Travel to an overseas conference, then hang out: To fully expand your global understanding you’re going to have to travel. I would suggest figuring out how to travel internationally once a year — with an intention to visit a different country every trip.

Also read: How to Build a Leadership Pipeline with Global Experience

If you’re traveling to a three-day conference in another country, add a few days and use the connections that you’re making in your online groups to meet with people face-to-face in that city. There’s nothing better than immersing yourself in another culture.

Explore international development opportunities: A very powerful way to expand your global mindset is to travel with a group of like-minded professionals to really explore a specific country.

An associate and I organize an HR delegation every year to a different country. In recent years, we’ve taken 21 HR-related professionals to Cuba for a week and another dozen to Japan. Last year we traveled with an HR group to the Czech Republic and Hungary.

On one of the trips, an attendee was the head of talent acquisition for a specific business unit inside a global organization, and she said the trip was part of her strategy to take on a more global job.

When she returned her company took note of her willingness to invest her own funds and time in an international learning perspective and put her into a global job within a few months.

If you truly want to understand how things work in other parts of the world and make the investment to start your learning curve, your employer is likely to notice that effort and support your journey. And if they don’t then you have a great foundation to find an organization that’s more conducive to your global learning.

Also read: Keeping Data Safe: The Next Wave of HR Tech Innovation

June 25, 2019June 29, 2023

Day 2 at #SHRM19 — It’s All About the Underutilized Talent Pool

It’s no secret that HR pros face a broad range of challenges every day.

And if, like me, you were waiting to hear the broad range of topics that the world’s largest HR association is addressing from the organization’s CEO as the first full day of the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual confab dawned in Las Vegas, you were probably pretty disappointed.

That said, if you were eager to hear about the untapped talent pool consisting of the formerly incarcerated, people living with disabilities, veterans, and those people considered to be too old for the workplace, well, spending a little time at the general session Monday morning in the Las Vegas Convention Center was your little slice of heaven.

SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr.’s mini-keynoter before the real keynoter Brene Brown didn’t shed new light on the direction of his 300,000-member-plus association’s present or future. He skirted any potential controversies and closely stuck to the message of building a more inclusive, diverse and empathetic workplace. It was a valuable message, no doubt.

At times I felt like I was at a political rally. It’s clear that Taylor knows how to stoke an emotional response with videos and people’s up-close and personal stories. Taylor introduced four people representing underutilized pools of workplace talent to emphasize his signature push to put these people back in the workplace.

Taylor also reminded us that overlooking these potential employees not only causes them a disservice but tears at the “very social fabric” and causes harm for generations.

“Workplaces are where real social services begins,” Taylor said.

Taylor also noted that HR’s expanding role in talent acquisition is to remember that those who do not think, walk or talk like us deserve dignity of work. “As stewards we play huge role not keeping out wrong people but bringing in the right people,” Taylor said.

Then came a quick video set in a courtroom. The criminal was guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

That led to Alice M. Johnson, whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump after a push by Kim Kardashian, to walk onstage. Johnson, now an author, briefly and passionately told her story and offered a moving example of the second chance movement.

“There are so many more like me who are not so fortunate after serving their debt,” she said. “They were shut out and they only want to find their purpose in the dignity of work. HR pros like you can stop the cycle of poverty, you create a better world.” Her talk understandably drew a large round of applause.

“Millions are waiting for opportunities,” Taylor said. “Put biases aside. They’re not just charity cases, nor superheroes. They need an opportunity. They can become leaders, change makers.”

Taylor followed up by introducing three people with physical disabilities.

Taylor called them ambassadors for changing workplaces, adding that people with challenges like mental health and ADHD need to be supported by HR in the workplace.

“We all bring layers of challenges,” Taylor said. “HR has a profound responsibility to do our best to support these people.”

Taylor recognized veterans and then addressed the challenges older workers face by being aged out of the workforce.

“Ageism is illegal and it’s damaging to the bottom line,” Taylor said as a handful of older people dressed in all black formed a semi-circle behind him. It was a bit melodramatic but drove home Taylor’s point.

“We place premium on youth,” he said. “Aging is seen as debilitating. Let these people in. Recruit older workers.”

Taylor then closed his keynote by pounding home the benefits of a diverse workplace. “Different is beautiful,” he exclaimed. “Eliminate discrimination any time we see it.”

While it was a feel-good speech filled with personal examples, Taylor’s 26-minute reminder to hire disadvantaged talent pools was merely an extension of the initiative he launched about this time a year ago at SHRM 2018 in Chicago.

No doubt it was a moving and emotional speech, but if I’m an HR leader I know we face a shortage of talent and that it’s time to get creative with our hiring. And as Taylor implored the assembled crowd to hire these people, all I could think of was the “yes, but …” that was likely running through many SHRM members’ minds — or potentially will be after they return to their workplaces.

Taylor chose to stick to a recurring theme during his one chance to address the assembled SHRM membership. While finding talent is an important topic, HR leaders face a bevy of challenges beyond hiring. Young employees drowning in student debt; soaring health care costs; the #MeToo movement, which unfortunately seems to be yesterday’s news. We also have a president who wants to eliminate the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s HR department.Want to advocate for a membership’s cause? My guess is SHRM has a fair portion of OPM employees as members.

Yes, SHRM19 provides plenty of opportunities to air out these issues with cohorts and gather insight during sessions to solve problems back home. But Taylor could have used his half hour setting a broad tone for the conference by touching on several hot-button HR issues rather than polishing what sounded more to me like a political speech on a single topic.

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The State of #SHRM19 Speech — Tune in Monday

It always seems like there’s a world-class soccer tournament simultaneously playing as the the Society for Human Resource Management opens its annual soiree.

Sure enough, the Women’s World Cup is on in France, and SHRM is opening in Las Vegas. And sure enough, Brazil and France were deadlocked 1-1 in overtime as Sunday’s opening session kicked off.

Timing wise that was fine because we should know who wins by the time Johnny C. Taylor Jr. gives the assembled HR faithful the annual CEO’s state of SHRM. Last year in Chicago, Taylor’s inaugural speech at the Sunday general session was a riveting blend of revival meeting and motivational speech about HR’s growing role in the workplace.

So, let’s check the boxes as we watch the first 20 minutes or so until Taylor speaks.

Huge conference space at the Las Vegas Convention Center? Check.

Record attendance? Oh yes … somewhere north of 20,000 people are here.

Glitz and glamour? Check and check. I mean, the opening act was iLuminate, a deft troupe that blends tech and theater. And the upcoming opening keynote was TV and media personality Martha Stewart.

Score still tied 1-1.

Event emcee Melissa Dawn Simkins offered up a plug for the SHRM Foundation and we heard about new initiatives — the SHRM Studio and Convos & Coffee, a clever little lounge with a weirdly intuitive floor that asks questions about such things as ageism and diversity of your workplace.

France goes ahead 2-1. Still 7 minutes left. Yikes.

Simkins introduced SHRM Board of Directors Chairman David Windley.

Pleasant enough speech. Windley noted the 20,000 people in attendance this year, 1,400 of whom belong to the public sector and a large number who practice HR internationally.

Windley also noted how people spend a third of lives at work and that there’s a growing level of trust between employees and their employers.

“People are losing trust in institutions but not in their workplaces,” Windley said. “The employer is most trusted — 75 percent more than NGOs, media and government. Employers are the key relationship in peoples’ lives. So we have a serious responsibility,” Windley added.

France still ahead, 2-1; 2 minutes left. Annnnd, I lose the feed. Noooooo ….. .

Oh well, Taylor will be on shortly.

Windley continues about SHRM’s second chance push for formerly incarcerated people and how advisors are on hand at the conference for HR practitioners who want to learn more about what has been Taylor’s signature initiative. And there was polite applause as Windley mentioned companies signing a pledge to give people a second chance in the workplace.

Match over; France advances. Full attention now as Windley concludes his talk.

“Learn, share, go back and build better workplaces for a better world,” Windley said as the assembled crowd applauds.

Behind him people scramble to set up two chairs and a table for the upcoming chat between Taylor and Martha Stewart.

But … out comes Stewart. And Taylor. Big applause.

And my jaw drops. What?!? No Johnny C. Taylor state of SHRM talk? I get a text from a colleague. “No JCT???”

No whipping the crowd into a frenzy over the second chance initiative? No firing up the HR base over building better workplaces?

I mean, the CEO’s talk — whether it was Taylor’s predecessor Hank Jackson or even dating back to Sue Meisinger — occurred Sunday, since it’s the big chance for all SHRM members to hear from their CEO before they begin hitting sessions and the expo hall (not to mention Las Vegas). Instead they get the chairman of the board — and I don’t mean Frank Sinatra.

So, maybe you were happy with Taylor and Stewart kibbutzing for 90 minutes. I thought Stewart was disappointing and all about herself with just a passing mention of her own incarceration. What a great opportunity to forward Taylor’s prime initiative.

Call me a creature of habit. Perhaps if I had read the schedule a bit more closely I would noticed that Taylor is set to give his take on all things HR on Monday morning before keynoter Brene Brown takes the stage.

As one SHRM media person told me, “Johnny likes to mix things up.”

Indeed he does.

So, France moves on to play again. And, it appears, so do the rest of us to hear about SHRM’s current and future state.

More 2019 SHRM Conference Coverage:

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June 20, 2019June 29, 2023

Workforce Names Its Class of 2019 Game Changers

A strong international contingent leads the Class of 2019 Workforce Game Changers.

This marks the ninth year of the Game Changers, an awards program designed to recognize those in workforce management under 40 years old who are pushing the field forward with innovative people-management practices.