Collaboration during the recession

It's well understood that the way in which employees work together can make or break an organisation.  A collaborative culture – where staff actively draw upon others' respective skills, positive communication is encouraged and conflict eschewed – is one that all businesses strive to foster given the advantages it brings.

The reality, however, is that even the most collaborative of organisations are finding it almost impossible to maintain this kind of healthy culture in the midst of a recession. Which, for at least the time being, is here to stay.

So how does the current recession effect collaboration within an organisation?  The main breaking point is the stress that it creates for employees.  Sales may be harder to come by whilst organisational costs sky-rocket due to the increased costs of fuel and other commodities.  In short the pressure is mounting and it sits firmly on shoulders of those who should be leading collaboration efforts – management.

As a result, it’s hardly surprising that any focus on collaboration pales in comparison to the need to generate sufficient cashflow to secure the survival of the organisation. On the flip side, neglecting to nurture an engaged, motivated workforce will generate its own financial drains, whether it be through increased conflict to deal with (the more formal the more costly), high turnover and absence, low productivity, and loss of key talent, to name just a few.

Our advice?  By all means focus on improving and maintaining the business figures, but remember that your workforce is a key part of your business and ultimately its survival through the recession. So get everyone working collaboratively in the direction of your business objectives.

The Plight of an HR Business Partner

Human Resources has undergone a huge transition over the last few decades; beginning in personnel, moving to HR and now we have all kinds of exotic combinations of Chief of Human Capital, Head of People and HC Directors.

The driving force behind most of this change is that HR wants and needs to be seen as more than a tactical or operational function. Yet to achieve this, and understand the strategic needs of the organisation, it has been noted by many that HR has to get closer to the business, hence the development of the HR Business Partner Model (HRBPM).

Over the last few years the HRBPM has been heavily criticised for not performing as expected. But Dave Ulrich, a key ambassador for the model, suggests that the reason lies with HR teams not having the necessary skills or commercial acumen to use the model effectively.  

According to the latest report by the CIPD Business Savvy: Giving HR the Edge, there are four core skills required by HR to be truly 'business savvy': Understanding the business model; Generating insight and impact through data; Connecting and collaborating with curiosity, purpose and impact; Leading with integrity.

Understandably, many HR teams struggle to achieve this alongside everyday workloads and priorities. But never fear, for those of you still getting to grips with your HRBP role, our sister company Human Potential Accounting, is offering a 1-day course that equips HR colleagues with the key attributes they need to become a commercially-focused internal consultant with true business partnering skills.

Note sure where you development needs are? Take our free online self assessment to find out.

To Coach or Not to Coach

To us at People Resolutions, it’s no surprise to discover that the use of business coaching is widespread in UK companies, with almost nine in ten respondents to a survey by the University of Bristol reporting that they now use coaching in their organisation.

We've directly observed a marked shift in HR over the last decade, from spending much of their time firefighting conflict, towards resolving it at an earlier stage and taking measures to preventing it occuring in the first place. One-to-one coaching for select individuals can play a huge part in both the prevention and resolution of workplace conflict, as well as helping staff adapt to the changing business climate. According to Lisa Berkovitz, “people are being forced to navigate the work world according to a new set of rules that no one has explained to them. The essential inner and outer skills needed today, aren’t being taught elsewhere.”

In a short series of two-hour sessions, coaching can explore attitudes, behaviours, communication styles, conflict resolution techniques and other gaps the individual may need to address – a personalised approach that no generic training course could ever match.  Lisa Berkowitz provides an interesting analogy: “There’s a reason why elite athletes and top performers in any field have coaches. A great coach can help reveal your blind spots so you can keep getting past your upper limit.”                 

Many of our customers are keenly aware that by not exploring coaching – for example as a way to resolve an issue or prevent it from escalating, or to help someone find their feet in a new role, the organisation leaves itself exposed to risk and costly outcomes, such as high turnover, grievances raised etc.

So while coaching may appear an expensive luxury, in actual fact for the right person (or group/team) at the right time, it can represent a sound financial investment on the part of the organisation in generating improved working relationships that pay dividends.