With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I have vague memories of those days when I was stuck at the "kiddie table." That crappy card table, always one foot slightly off kilter, that was intended for those who just weren't quite ready for prime time at the "real table" yet. And when you finally got there, you felt like you made it.
Zoom ahead a few decades. My CEO and I tagged teamed at an event last week about best practices in the field of human resources. During the coffee breaks, a number of people asked me, "how did you get a seat at the table?" I paused.
In the field of human resources, it has been notoriously difficult to get a seat at the proverbial table. Why? Because historically this field hasn't been thought of as a strategic partner. Back in the days when it was "personnel", it was the team that was responsible for throwing parties and filing records. Perhaps tackling the tough hiring and firing issues. Today's teams, at least the successful ones, are true business partners.
If a company is fortunate enough to have a savvy CEO who "gets it," that individual is partnering with a HR executive who truly understands the business. In short, earning that seat at the table doesn't just mean you got there because the executive team thinks that people are an important part of the equation and they better toss you into the mix. It means if you were invited to the table, you better make the most of your time there. You don't want to be an invited guest; you want to be a daily diner.
So if you have worked hard enough to be invited to the "big kids table," how do you earn the respect to hold your place there?
You live and breath the business. Your major might be in all things people related, but you better minor in every other subject. Products, sales, finance, etc. You need to understand how the business runs and operates. On top of it, you need to develop a strategic point of view.
You need to understand how all the human resources needs affect the rest of the company. Everything you present and support should advance the business strategy of the company. And you need to be able to present and articulate those ideas and plans in a concise, articulate manner.
You need to understand an issue from all sides, and how it affects all areas of the business. You need to constantly seek to broaden your knowledge, and strengthen your relationships will also serve you well. And of course, support your ideas with data. Ideas backed with factual evidence and/or crisp information will only further your agenda and credibility.
Mostly importantly, have a voice. You've earned a seat at that big table. There's absolutely no benefit to sitting there unless you let your voice be heard.
A long time ago I shunned the term "human resources." In my mind, people are the single most important element to a successful company. Therefore, you can't think of those people as "resources." Even the best business plan will fail if you don't nail the people strategy. And that's what it is. The company has a business strategy, so it needs to have a people strategy to partner with it.
If your company is savvy enough to embrace that, lucky you. Embrace it, drive it, and give it a voice. Pull in your chair. It's dinner time.
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