Not another HR initiative!
The HR professional’s guide to staying in control
One of the most difficult challenges that HR professionals face is the balancing act of day to day operational responsibilities with project activity. Project work for HR professionals comes in many forms, be that projects to conform with the latest regulations, putting in place a leadership development programme or even changes in appraisal systems. All such activities can be a distraction from the critical activities that the HR function performs in keeping the organisation in check. These adhoc activities can easily be a source of stress and frustration, particularly if there is much interest from senior management. So what can the HR professional do to help manage the situation? There are some basic project management techniques that have been very effective in supporting HR managers in these situations.
It is important to clearly communicate how much time any project activity will take and how much time you have available. This can help drive the discussion with management on being very precise on what project activities are crucial and exactly what outcome they desire. Agreeing a plan of action and timescales further ensures that targets have been jointly agreed. This in turn can help to have the conversation around budgets and resource requirements. After a number of iterations of this process, a pragmatic plan should be achieved.More important for a HR initiative than any other type of project is the identification and management of risks and issues. This does not have to mean a lengthy and onerous risk management process at all. For most projects, a risk and issues workshop a couple of hours long, with the right people, is sufficient to identify any major problems. From there, assigning of mitigating actions and ownership can be completed and distributed afterwards.
Another difficult issue for HR professionals to manage is the internal politics and power lines in the organisation. For any initiative to be completed successfully, it not only needs to be backed by senior management but also decision making responsibilities need to be known. Without these key ingredients any initiative is likely to turn into a rollercoaster ride of stress.
These techniques, although may sound simple, can be far more difficult to employ. They can, however, help to win support for you both from colleagues and stakeholders. Recognising the fact that any initiative in the HR function can have significant impact on staff morale, it is important that activities and communications are well planned and executed. If all goes well, then the new initiative should provide an exciting and rewarding experience for the HR team with lasting benefits. No change at all would be much worse. So, it’s best to enjoy the process as much as you can!