The problem is that, according to the Chartered Institute for Professional Development HR outlook survey, curiosity is the behaviour least likely to be displayed or even encouraged. If that’s the case, we’re in trouble.
Let’s consider the facts: according to a recent Verdict report, disposable income will decrease by just over £2,000 in the next 5 years. Add to this the sharp decline in employee engagement noted in a recent Mercer study and compound it by reflecting on the number of corporations now trying to ‘do more with less’ and the ingredients all add up to a pretty disenfranchised weary start to 2011. So what, realistically, can HR do?
We asked several high profile HR directors that question in 2010 and the overwhelming response was that the recession had brought a renewed emphasis on customer focus, efficiency, leadership capability, innovation and change management and HR was at the heart of it all. Tanith Dodge form Marks and Spencer told us that her biggest contribution over the last couple of years was "ensuring we have a commercially savvy HR business plan absolutely aligned with what the business needs." She wouldn’t have got very far with that unless she had been able to demonstrate curiosity about how the business operated and unless she had collaborated with her business peers to fully understand their needs.
So how best can you deploy your curiosity and collaboration in 2011? Here’s a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution in 3 parts:
- Find the truth. This is inspired by the first of Sir Terry Leahy’s 10 management lessons explaining Tesco’s rise to success. Ask yourselves the question, "what is holding us back?" Think wide, think beyond HR. Ask employees from different functions and levels about the barriers and frustrations they face and from their stories create a composite picture of how work gets done. Why should HR be curious about this? Well, no change or cultural transformation programme is going to stick unless you face into the truth.
- Stop the madness. Having found the truth, what would it take to change it? Ask yourselves what’s stopping you from addressing the issues you have now unearthed. To do this you need to collaborate with your business peers to design an integrated approach to ‘stopping the madness’ that addresses strategy, process, leadership, performance management and more.
- Refocus and re-energise. Ask yourselves what the benefits of doing this are. Find a way to tell the story of what you are trying to change and why. How will you engage the curiosity of the organisation? How will you encourage collaboration to reach your new organisational goals?
Go on. Be bold. Be curious. Make this the year that you and your organisation re-discovered your mojo.
Natalie Gordon is director of Egremont Group
