Why HR Champions Is (still) One of My Favorites
Dave Ulrich’s book, HR Champions, was one of the frameworks for how we saw the Human Resources function at New Belgium. In the early 2000s, we used the Ulrich construct to evaluate how we were currently working and how we might reshape and advance the function.
The Ulrich model is a classic 2×2 construct that looks at HR service delivery from 4 views and, in doing so, helps the HR pro audit and advance their work. I am still a fan of the model nearly 26 years later. Constructs help us think and frame a point of view in alignment with the corporate concept. Like all thought leadership, a body of work evolves, and this model is no different and provides an elegant base.
My edits to the model are minor, but they are relevant to the evolution in practice.
Administrative expertise
HRtech is now part of the technology integration of any business. With more and more apps and technology solutions being sent our way from every functional solutions provider, HR tech is about creating accessible ways for employees to engage with their benefits, pay, perks, and work. The big however, is that the lack of an IT roadmap that integrates all enterprise technology creates a confusing employee experience. And some of the big solutions fail to deliver the nuanced technology most functions hope to provide properly. HR must now be part of the integration experience for all applications and see beyond the HR tech to the entire virtual employee experience.
The next change is change itself
The pace of change is faster now. Life and work overlap more. State-by-state laws create an array of issues to navigate. Our brains have been rewired. We know more about how the brain chooses. And we are more certain that work performance is not just individual outputs but how one impacts and is impacted by the social engine. Teams, functions, and corporate visions are a part of the individual performance equation. The disciplined knowledge of social influence changes how HR has a seat at the table. No longer is HR talking about new minimum wage laws or pay transparency in isolation; they are presenting a new system of workforce planning and job structure communication.
Finally, strategy
A good strategy is always integrated. A company generates value for its shareholders by selling services and products. The choice of lower margin, higher growth, or higher margin, lower growth is important to understand so employees can make smart choices. Economic and financial literacy is a fundamental skill. The only way that any functional leader can participate in planning is by understanding the business drivers and how they will be activated and resources deployed. Planning is not a one-time event; it is a conversation, continuous improvement, and discipline. Any C-suite or VP is a business person first and a functional leader second. With HR specifically, functional leadership is about laws and regulations, and it is also about how people interact and choose and how to grow continually. For strategic leadership, the conversation is not about HR; it is about organizational vitality, risk management, cash flow, and building a better value chain for the consumer.
Book recco pairing: HR Champions + The Nine Faces of HR
