Focus on Your HR Strategy Looking Forward

About the only “good” thing about a downturn is that it forces some clarity. It makes you narrow your focus until you only have the most important things in sight. We think this is when a solid HR strategy shines the most because it creates a thread that runs through all of your valuable components and ties them all together.

With the challenges of the current pandemic, human resources has taken center stage because everything has become about how we protect people, quite literally. But my hope is that the focus stays on the power of people as we begin the recovery. When people and culture are made a priority, there are opportunities for competitive advantages that often remain unexploited. Our belief is that companies should always be relentlessly pursuing an HR strategy that supports operations and drives culture. When that happens, companies thrive.

For most of this piece, we have focused on what needs to be put in place to deliver on the promise of developing good talent and leading through tough times while preparing for the future. Hopefully, you have made changes and adjustments to survive these tough times and are ready for the recovery.

AS YOU CONSIDER YOUR TALENT STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD, ASK YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, RATING EACH ONE ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 3, WITH 3 BEING THE HIGHEST:

How confident are you in the talent you have in place for the current situation?

• Do you have winners on your team?
• Are they secure in their roles and understand their importance?
• Are they connected in some way that will keep them engaged?

Are you happy with your plan to take your company to the next level once the recovery begins?

• Have you communicated your vision and goals to your employees?
• Are you prepared to hire any needed talent once the recovery begins?

Are your employees, especially your leaders, aligned with your culture?

• Do all of your employees have a good attitude?
• Are your leaders genuine and someone that people want to follow?

 

This is an assessment where we believe ALL of your answers should be a three. These are actionable points and you should relentlessly work to improve. People and culture should always be the best because those are foundational components to company success. Continue to assess each of these areas and make changes if any area drops below a three.

The final piece to being relentless is to not back down. Throughout this piece we have repeated a number of behaviors that we see in strong leaders: courageous, deliberate, authentic, focused, confident and consistent. They are qualities that are important not because they create a wonderful person, but because they make it easy for others to follow. Especially in times of uncertainty, employees need leaders who move fearlessly in the chosen direction.

As a leader, know that you have done the legwork to determine the right priorities and move forward confidently with your approach. Eliminate distractions and keep a laser focus on your clearly defined action-oriented plan.