Amplifying the Impact of HR - Develop Your Ability to Speak "Business"
Recently, I had the pleasure of catching up with a dear friend who serves as the Chief HR Officer of an important international chemical company. As we discussed her organization's business outlook, I was genuinely impressed by how she had immersed herself in the business and technical jargon of her industry. Her ability to converse fluently with her colleagues and stakeholders not only earned their respect but also enhanced her effectiveness as a strategic partner.
๐ก This got me thinking...๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ?
In my experience as an HR leader and consultant, it's not just importantโit's essential. Here's why:
โถ๏ธ Enhanced Credibility and Trust
72% of business leaders believe that HR's understanding of business operations significantly impacts their trust in HR's recommendations. (SHRM)
โถ๏ธ Better Alignment with Business Goals
Deloitte's GHC Trends report indicates that organizations with strong HR-business alignment are 2.5 times more likely to be high-performing.
โถ๏ธ Improved stakeholder communication and engagement.
By mastering business and technical language, HR can more effectively negotiate, influence, and collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.
๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ:
1๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: Take proactive steps to learn about your company's products, services, and industry trends. Attend cross-functional meetings, participate in training sessions, and engage with different departments to gain a holistic understanding of the business.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ: Familiarize yourself with the terminology and jargon used by your colleagues. This not only facilitates clearer communication but also demonstrates your commitment to being an integral part of the team.
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ: Use your business knowledge to tailor HR initiatives that directly support organizational objectives. By aligning HR strategies with business goals, you can contribute more effectively to the company's success.
โ In what ways has developing your business acumen amplified your impact as an HR Business Partner?