Communicating with Tact and ConvictionHaving a seat at the table requires that HR leaders demonstrate the ability to co

 Communicating with Tact and ConvictionHaving a seat at the table requires that HR leaders demonstrate the ability to communicate with candor without alienating those with opposing positions. As discussed in the readings and videos this week, HR leaders will sometimes find themselves in situations where they have to deliver bad news or stand up to strong-willed individuals in the C-Suite. This could even include the CEO, who may advocate actions that the HR leader does not believe are in the best interest of the company and its employees.

• What steps can HR leaders take to ensure their voice is heard, but not put their careers in jeopardy?
• What should be done to prepare for a difficult conversation to smooth the way in delivering bad news?
• When you reflect on your Executive Presence:
  • What areas do you feel are your biggest strengths?
  • What areas would you most like to improve on and why?
  • What concrete actions can you take to make these improvements?
  • If you have a real-life experience you can share to illustrate, please include this in your response.

Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your time zone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates' initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your time zone.​ 

1st person to respond to

Syndee Watson

 RE: Week 9 Discussion COLLAPSE

What steps can HR leaders take to ensure their voices are heard, but not put their careers in jeopardy?

According to Jack and Bill, HR leaders should take the following steps to ensure their voices is being heard:

• Energy – great leaders are dynamic and engaged with what they do and the people around them
• Energize – they get others excited and build enthusiasm
• Edge – they have the confidence to make tough decisions
• Execute – they get it done, delivering above and beyond what is expected of them
• Passion – they care about what they do and come to work every day eager to do more.

While I agree with these steps, I also think HR leaders should prepare to execute their thoughts in a manner that will keep the C-Suite leaders engaged. They should have exceptional communication skills as well as listening skills. Being knowledgeable about the issues and having a definitive resolution to problems/issues will give HR professionals a cutting-edge advantage in their leaders’ eyes. HR is not going to be viewed as someone who always brings problems to the table but rather someone who has ideas on how to resolve issues.

What should be done to prepare for a difficult conversation to smooth the way in delivering bad news?

When I deliver bad news, I try to prepare my state of mind from the receiver's perspective. If I was the one getting the news, I would want someone to be compassionate and empathetic in the delivery. I prepare for the conversation by gathering the facts, getting my emotions together, then role-play the scenario so that my delivery will come across more confident and smoother.

When you reflect on your own Executive Presence: What areas do you feel are your biggest strengths?

I would say my biggest strength is always educating myself on the newest trends and technology so that I can better advocate for employees. I communicate with C-Suite leaders on what there are looking for in prospective employees and then utilize those criteria to find, train, and retain those employees.

What areas would you most like to improve on and why?

I guess I would have to say the area I would need to improve on is getting a better understanding of the external aspects of HR. For years, I have focused my perspective on employees and leaders and never on the customers. “HR sometimes comes across as being very internally focused, rather than extrapolating their responsibilities out to the core offering of the business. But to be a great HR Leader this must be part of the equation.”

What concrete actions can you take to make these improvements? If you have a real-life experience you can share to illustrate, please include this in your response.

            The actions I would take to make these improvements are first to recognize the weakness. Then commit to working on them each week. For example, when I was younger, I was very shy so I decided that I would introduce myself to someone each day until I got comfortable. And before long, I had a Rolodex of friends. I have gotten so used to doing this that in every country I have visited, I have made at least one friend. By doing this simple exercise I have developed an appreciation for different cultures, open my communication and listening skills that I can use in my career.

Microsoft Word – JWI 522_W9 Lecture Notes_1192_Final.doc (strayer.edu)

Strengths & Weaknesses of HR Managers Unveiled (clearcompany.com)

2nd person to respond to

Po

Dear Professor and Classmates,

As discussed in the readings and videos this week, HR leaders will sometimes find themselves in situations where they have to deliver bad news or stand up to strong-willed individuals in the C-Suite. This could even include the CEO, who may advocate actions that the HR leader does not believe are in the best interest of the company and its employees.

What steps can HR leaders take to ensure their voice is heard, but not put their own careers in jeopardy?

For the CHRO to be heard and respected by a CEO, it takes more than immediate steps before the conversation on a specific issue.  CHROs must gain the CEO’s trust and have a seat at the table.  Ishrak and Surface identify the following 4 requirements that CHROs should expect from the CEO to strengthen the relationship between the two executives (Ishrak and Surface,1).

1. Don’t underestimate the impact of your role
2. Ensure HR priorities are aligned with business priorities.
3. Build and maintain a strong bench.
4. Know where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

These are excellent guidelines for a CHRO to build rapport with the CEO.  So when an issue arises, and the CHRO needs to ensure their voice is heard, the CEO will respect and value the CHRO’s opinion and advice.

What should be done to prepare for a difficult conversation to smooth the way in delivering bad news?

To prepare for a difficult conversation, one must understand the issue in detail and from all angles.  Once you fully understand, you can follow Amy Gallo’s 5 steps to deliver the bad news (Gallo, 2).

1. Describe the problem
2. Identify your solution or approach
3. Explain the implications
4. Discuss the benefits
5. Accept responsibility for the outcome

This is a step-by-step process that builds confidence with a superior that you understand the problem, have a solution, know what the impacts are, and are willing to own addressing the issue.

When you reflect on your own Executive Presence:

What areas do you feel are your biggest strengths?

What areas would you most like to improve on and why?

If you have a real-life experience you can share to illustrate, please include this in your response.

I believe my biggest strengths when it comes to executive presence are that I am Authentic, I bring a good amount of energy, I have the confidence in making tough decisions, I can execute, and I have passion for what I do.

I think I need to improve in energizing others and being more influential.  I don’t think I am totally hopeless in these categories, but there is room for improvement.  I know this because I compare myself to others I admire and see how they excel in these categories.  Specifically, my boss and I recently met with all business units to get buy-in for a significant project.  I saw how he communicated and sold the importance of the project.  Then the project was handed off to me, and we executed the project successfully.

What concrete actions can you take to make these improvements?

I think the concrete action that I can take is strengthening my communication skills.  “Leaders with strong executive Presence are also sensitive to how others react to what they are saying” (Lecture Notes, 3). I can take classes, practice in front of my spouse and rehearse what I say while paying attention to my body language.  If I do this, I will have better communication skills. 

Kind Regards,

Po

References:

1. Omar Ishrak and Carol Surface. (November 2019).  Secrets of the strategic CHRO: A Model for Success. Secrets Of The Strategic CHRO: A Model For Success (chiefexecutive.net)
2. Amy Gallo (December 2014).  Harvard Business Review.  The right way to bring a problem to your boss. The Right Way to Bring a Problem to Your Boss (strayer.edu)
3. JWI Week 9 Lecture Notes.