How would you describe your relationship with your stakeholders?

It’s a fresh challenge for HR to move on from ‘we serve the business’ to ‘we partner with business leaders’.

It helps if we imagine what it looks like to serve, and what it looks like to partner.

When we serve, there is an assumption of lesser importance. We’re more likely to obey, to acquiesce, to give way to another’s request or argument. It’s subtle, but we understand the dynamics.

When we partner, there is an assumption of equality. You need my expertise and I need yours. We will benefit from a robust discussion in order to get the best from both of our minds – we share our perspectives and our intellectual grip of a situation.

This is why partnering demands mutual respect. I know HR people won’t mind me saying that respect for HR has been lacking in many organisations for a long time.

So that’s where we need to start.

HR earns respect from its achievements as well as its demeanour. There are opportunities to demonstrate stature and business acumen – if they don’t crop up, we need to create them.

It’s a pleasure and a privilege to coach HR leaders as they grow in self-confidence. You have to respect yourself first, and be clear about the value you add.

Contact me for a chat about your own challenges.

To give you food for thought, watch the recording of our recent webinar ‘What is strategic business partnering, and how do we ensure it delivers value’