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Three Unpalatable Truths

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Rob posted his three unpalatable truths a couple weeks ago and applied them to the creation of strategy.  As I thought about my definition of HR strategy as “the shaping of the workforce” Rob’s unpalatable truths hit me pretty hard.

1.   THE FUTURE IS UNKNOWABLE
2.   RESULTS ARE OFTEN RANDOM AND UNPREDICTABLE
3.   NOT EVERYBODY IS, OR WANTS TO BE, AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE

If the future truly is unknowable (and yes, it is – get used to it!) then the firm has to base it’s strategy on a far more coarse grained view of the future than has been the norm in strategic planning. There are aspects of the firm’s possible futures that its owners can aspire to, irrespective of how that future unfolds. This needs to be the focus.

Exactly the same principle needs to apply in our firms. We need clear, unambiguous, clearly communicated overarching goals, and then we need the freedom to start working towards them, each of us in our own daily practice and life. Not in accordance with a grandiose strategic plan, but step by step, persistently over time.  ((Millard, Rob, March 7, 2007.  “Three Unpalatable Truths.”  Retrieved from http://www.robmillard.com on March 15, 2007.))

For whatever reason, I remembered an article I read a month back (can’t remember from where so I can’t reference it).  In the true story, the corporate accounting office received a P.O. for a chimney from one of the regional businesses.  Curious what this was about, they went for a site visit and found a fully constructed manufacturing plant.  The only thing that the region could not strip down to a small enough component to slip it under the radar was the chimney.

Bringing this closer to home, I remember an exchange I had a couple weeks ago on this blog.  In it, someone had challenged that the managers own performance management – an idea I heartily disagree with.  I do understand that it’s the managers who need to execute on performance, but it’s still HR who needs to bring the goals, tools and plans to the table.

How do we “shape the workforce” in an environment filled with doubt, with partners how do their own thing, and with managers who may or may not execute?  The talent pool is often knowable, but their preferences are not.  We deal today with knowing exactly what cities will have the best talent pools in five years, but the quickly shifting preferences of the new generations of workers and the shifting needs of the baby boomers makes this more complex than just understanding where the good people are.

Rob is also correct that not everyone wants to be an Olympic athlete.  You can’t shape the unshapable.  You can only concentrate on your strategy and go for the 80% who are shapable and hope you keep the 20% who will eventually make a difference.  In the end, we apply broad policies, but let’s not fool ourselves thinking we have a global audience.  Our audience is small.  It’s the senior talent, the innovators and the collaborators.  We don’t know the future, but if we can cast a wide net, we’ll hopefully catch the ones we need to.

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4 responses to “Three Unpalatable Truths”

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