November 23, 2010
The HR profession has been going through one of those regular, HR = human remains, we're not worthy, what's the point in us" mindsets that periodically afflicts this mighty calling.
And a certain amount of self doubt is obviously no bad thing - apart from being in the Guru business, where a scintilla of hubris deficit is considered a crime. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, lurking just outside the box, in a blue-sky arena of opportunity, as it were.
According to leading 'thinkers' at the Towers Watson consultancy - formerly Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt - HR's role "going forward" in the coming year or two will involve less... um.. HR work and more coaching of senior staff to teach them how to get the best out of their remaining employees.
Now Guru has always been an optimist, but most HR practitioners surely came in the business of people business to avoid other people. After all, most HR departments are stuck away in some basement somewhere, quite probably a good 40ft under ground, and usually in a totally separate building - the only function that... er... functions with less windows being the occupational health team.
Naturally - or rather, unnaturally - being deprived of light and honest communications with other human beings can having a detrimental impact on wellbeing - hence the close proximity of the OH department. And Yours Truly knows from his wide experience of the profession that that's the way more HR practitioners like it. Which might explain the industry's recurring bouts of self doubt and bunker mentality.
Talking of which, Yours Truly was wondering why the international media corps have paid so little attention to the rescued Chinese miners after the big hoo-haa over the Chile boys? Paradoxical considering that any equipment used to extract the Chilean miners was probably made in China. Guru presumes Chile repaid the compliment by shipping over some of its most notable exports to help with the rescue.
Quite how a couple of substandard footballers, a box of saucy lingerie and a few lengths of copper piping could have helped remains a mystery - although it does sound like an ordinary night out in Manchester and it would certainly help the HR profession get back its mojo.
And a certain amount of self doubt is obviously no bad thing - apart from being in the Guru business, where a scintilla of hubris deficit is considered a crime. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, lurking just outside the box, in a blue-sky arena of opportunity, as it were.
According to leading 'thinkers' at the Towers Watson consultancy - formerly Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt - HR's role "going forward" in the coming year or two will involve less... um.. HR work and more coaching of senior staff to teach them how to get the best out of their remaining employees.
Now Guru has always been an optimist, but most HR practitioners surely came in the business of people business to avoid other people. After all, most HR departments are stuck away in some basement somewhere, quite probably a good 40ft under ground, and usually in a totally separate building - the only function that... er... functions with less windows being the occupational health team.
Naturally - or rather, unnaturally - being deprived of light and honest communications with other human beings can having a detrimental impact on wellbeing - hence the close proximity of the OH department. And Yours Truly knows from his wide experience of the profession that that's the way more HR practitioners like it. Which might explain the industry's recurring bouts of self doubt and bunker mentality.
Talking of which, Yours Truly was wondering why the international media corps have paid so little attention to the rescued Chinese miners after the big hoo-haa over the Chile boys? Paradoxical considering that any equipment used to extract the Chilean miners was probably made in China. Guru presumes Chile repaid the compliment by shipping over some of its most notable exports to help with the rescue.
Quite how a couple of substandard footballers, a box of saucy lingerie and a few lengths of copper piping could have helped remains a mystery - although it does sound like an ordinary night out in Manchester and it would certainly help the HR profession get back its mojo.
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