“I probably work far too much” Dr. Dave Ulrich, in an exclusive interview, talks about how to use strategic HR to create HR champions in a world where mere talent is just not good enough... |
 Dr. Dave Ulrich, a world-leading management educator and often referred to as the most influential person in HR speaks to The Human Factor about his journey and life; from his initial teaching experience at Jakarta, to his current position as Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan. He is also a writer, speaker and a management consultant, and has been selected by Fast Company as one of the 10 Most Innovative And Creative Leaders. Dr. Ulrich has, in fact, been one of the pioneers of the concept of the HR value proposition in business. His benchmark book, The HR Scorecard, specifically focused on linking people, strategy and performance, and rewrote the ways of measuring and thinking about individual contributions to business success. His book, Human Resource Champions, was one of the first mainstream books written in the field of HR. Dr. Ulrich’s research exemplifies how employee behaviour can be quantified to optimise employee productivity. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Ulrich shares some special moments.Q. First off, how really does it feel to be known as a ‘management guru’, especially in the field of HR? A. I do not know what a “guru” is. I am passionate about ideas with impact, and how to solve problems that are difficult to solve. I also believe that our views of Human Resource (HR), as both an individual ability and organisation capability, are key to a firm’s long term success. So, I think that this is a great time to be in HR because of the value we add. Q. Tell us about your teaching experiences in Jakarta. How was it like to be working in a developing economy, recovering from the Asian crisis? A. I am delighted to have worked in Asia. People are more committed to learning and growing there. Companies are learning how to take their goods, products and services, and ensure that they deliver value to customers. Growth economies are exciting and positive. Q. Getting down to your expertise, what really would you define as strategic HR to our readers and how is it different from the administrative aspect of HR? A. Strategic HR is the process of building both individual talent and organisational capabilities to deliver value to investors, customers, and employees. Strategic HR ensures that organisations have the ability to change, innovate, build leadership brands, serve, collaborate, adapt culture, ensure efficiency, have accountability, and learn. These capabilities, which help an organisation make strategy happen, are the deliverables from strategic HR. Q. How would a strategic HR manager’s job description read? A. A strategic HR manager would be able to coach business leaders, architect organisation processes, design and deliver HR practices, and facilitate change. A strategic HR person would be able to align HR practices with the business strategy and integrate across HR practices. The strategic HR person will also innovate HR practices to deliver value inside the company and even outside. Q. You have consistently been counted amongst the best business coaches globally. Tell us about the experiences you have had with coaching companies. A. I have had the privilege of sitting with business leaders as they define the strategies for their companies. This means they focus on the key priorities they need to deliver and then work hard to make them happen. For me, great coaching is when some of my ideas will shape how leaders think. Their actions are their own responsibilities but I might help them in shaping how they think about those. |
 Q. What would you say is ‘the future of HRM’, especially in the light of the recent economic crisis that has forced companies all over the world to layoff their employees in large numbers?A. HRM will continue to be relevant in up and down markets. Good HR will manage people by getting the right number of people in the right jobs; design performance by making sure that there is clear accountability; communicate extensively about changing business conditions that require change; and re-engineer organisations by shaping a new structure and governance process. Q. What are some of the myths you would like to clarify about the field of HR? A. We should not just move from operational to strategic, day-to-day to long term; we have to do both. Talent is not enough; we must have talent and organisation. Talent alone will not secure success. Line managers and HR managers need to collaborate to make HR work best. It is not one or the other who is responsible. Q. What is the use of technology for HR professionals? How can it be leveraged to add value? A. Technology allows companies to do administrative work better, faster, and cheaper. It allows employees to be connected to the firm and to each other in an efficient way. It removes the barriers that might otherwise hinder productivity. Technology is a fantastic enabler for productivity. However, it is not a replacement for connection. Q. Please share with our readers how they can work at building the HR strategy statement for their organisations? A. We have found that an HR strategy statement answers three questions: [1] who are we? [2] what do we do? And [3] why do we do it? Answers to these three questions will help define a strategic HR statement. Sometimes, these statements get too complex, yet when they are simple and focus on these three questions, an HR department has a clear vision or mission. Q. The current crisis shows how companies depend on stock markets and investors. Are investors going to be the most important stakeholder for HRM? A. There is not any single stakeholder for HR to pay attention to, but a network of stakeholders. Traditionally, HR professionals have paid great attention to employees and leaders inside the organisations. We are now realising that, in addition to these stakeholders, HR also needs to pay attention to those outside as well – customers, investors, and communities. Q. You recommend HR managers and companies to become “branded talent developers”. Can you explain that concept? A. A brand is the identity of the firm in the mind of the best customers. It has a major impact on customer choice and increases customer share. But for customer brand to be sustained, it has to be deeply embedded in the talent of the organisation. |
