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BookreviewUlrich,Dave;Allen,Justin;Brockbank,Wayne;Younger,Jon;Nyman,Mark:HRTransformationBuildingHR fromthe OutsideIn.TataMcGrawHill,NewDelhi,2009.Price:Rs550/

Dr.AneetaMadhokDecember2009

Often,managersdismissthecognitivebysayingthisisalltheoryrealityisvery

different!Bookknowledgeisdiscardedasbeingimpracticalandlessonsthataretaught

atbusinessschoolareoftenrequiredtobeunlearnedbeforetheyoungmanagement

traineeisdeemedtobeaproductiveresource.Thistime,allthepracticalpunditswill

beproved

wrong

because

here

is

theory

that

is

derived

from

practical

operating

knowledgeandwisdom.CEOswhofeltthatHRwasmissingsomething,willnowcome

nearertoclosingthegapsbetweenrealityandrhetoricandthebestpartisthatitisnot

arocketscience.

Weallknowthatpeopleareatthecoreofanybusinessorganization.Thedreamof

everyCEOandHRManageristohaveacompletelysynchronousorganizationwith

perfectandseamlessalignmentbetweenbusinesscontext,outcomes,HRredesignand

HRaccountabilityfortotallyoptimizedpeopleperformance.Thebookprovidesonesuch

seamlessmodelcompletewithtoolkitforHRtransformation,onlineresourceslike

videosand

downloads,

case

studies

that

prove

it

can

be

done

in

the

real

world,

and

endorsementsfromacrosstheglobe,includingIndia,andacompletewatertightcaseon

howtheseformulascanworkforyou.

Nothingissuperfluousinthisfeastforthegreycells.Theauthorspresentacasefor

transformingtheHRfunctiontakingthecuesfromthebusinesscontextinwhichthe

companyexists.PitfallsthatpreventsuccesshavebeenidentifiedandHRManagersare

urgedtoputrationalebeforeaction,integrateandalignHRstrategywithbusiness

8/9/2019 Book Review HR Transformation

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strategy,undertakeholisticeffortsandnotpiecemealpartialones,andconnecttoall

partsoftheorganizationandnotbeanindividualchampion.Dontfallintothetrapthat

thesolutionliesinanotherHRstructure,andefficiencyequalstransformationbecause

thesederail,crippleandinfecttheprocessoftransformationthatissoneededwithin

theHRfunction.

Simplicityleadstosuccess.SoHRManagersneedtobuildthebusinesscase,definethe

outcomesexpected,redesignHRandengagelinemanagersandothersandacompletely

newleafisturnedoverandHRisrenewed,remodeledandrevitalizedintheirrelevance

tobusinessandwork.Butbeforeanythingelse,youneedtoanswerseriousquestions

onwhyyouneedtochange.Onceyouareconvincedthatyouareattherightlevelof

readinessforchange,youcanenterthehallowedportalsofthosethatcansucceedat

thetransformationalefforts.Ifyoufailtheassessment,thenyoustayatsquareoneand

taketimeofftounderstandyougeneralbusinessconditionsandspecificstakeholder

expectations.Youcankeepyourselfintactbecausethereasonsarealloutthereandthe

transformationisnotinsideyou.

ThenewperformanceindicatorsfortheHRfunctionaretheextentofsatisfactionof

stakeholderconcernsandthecapabilityoftheorganizationthatgotbuiltintheprocess.

Therearemanypracticalsuggestionsthatcangiveconcretemeasuresforvarious

segmentsofstakeholderslikeemployees,leaders,customers,regulators,

analysts/investors,andthecommunity.HRisalsoexpectedtocontributetoenhanced

measuresoforganizationalcapabilitiesthatdefinethefundamentalidentity,culture

andimageofthecompany.

RedesigningHRisveryeasilyexplainedbytheauthors.Allyouneedtodoistore

calibratewho

you

are,

what

you

deliver,

and

why

you

do

it?

There

is

no

existential

angst

asallittakesistofillintheblanksthatdefinetheanswerstothesequestionsandyour

HRstrategystatementisready.TheHRorganizationisreadyfortransformingasallit

hastodoistomaketheHRdepartmentfollowthelogicandstructureofthebusiness

organizationandbejustlikeanyotherprofessionalserviceorganizationandmakea

differencebetweentransactionalHRandtransformationalHRwork.Thiswillsetthe

foundationforclearchangesinthefivechannelsthroughwhichHRdeliversvalue.A

tweakoftheresponsibilitiesofthesefivechannelsofdeliveryisallittakestofinalize

theHRdepartmenttransformation.

HR

is

transformed

through

content

and

process

interventions.

Redefining

the

content

of

HRaspeople,performance,communication,workandinfusingprocessesofalignment,

integrationandinnovationwillcreatearoadmapforenhancingHRpractices.Butthisis

onlytheblueprint.Therealeffectsoftransformationareundertakenbyupgradingthe

HRprofessionalstothecurrentbenchmarkedwavelengthsbysettingthestandards,

assessingindividuals,investmentintalentimprovementandfollowingupandtracking

competence.

8/9/2019 Book Review HR Transformation

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ItdoesntworkuntilyouholdHRaccountableforachievingitsowntransformationby

involvingHRleadersandprofessionals,linemanagers,externalcustomersandinvestors,

andconsultantsandadvisers.Itallhappenswhenyoumakeithappenbydefining

milestones,activitiesandoutcomesandbyturningwhatshouldhappenintowhatdoes

happen.TomaketheHRtransformationirreversiblemeanstakingthenecessarysteps

towardsinstitutionalizing.

Asaspecialicingonthecake,thefourcasestudiespaintawonderfulpictureofHR

transformation.FlextronicswasonewherethecompanycreatedanHRorganization

fromscratch,Pfizerachievedtransformationofalargeestablishedsystem,Intelmoved

theirHRfromtacticaltostrategic,andTakedawhereHRdemonstrateditsvalueaddina

smallnimblesubsidiary.

Thebookisclearofclutterandexcessivejargon,verywellstructuredinformationand

appealstotheleftbrainofintelligentreaders.TargetaudienceswouldincludeHR

consultantswhospecializeinenablingHRprocesses,CEOswhowantmoreoutoftheir

HR,HRprofessionalsthemselvesandalsoanybodyinterestedinsimplesolutionsfor

problemsthatareoftenverycomplicated.

Inrealitythough,HReffectivenessisnotsostraightforward.Itseasytoescapeinto

strategicthinkingbuttherearemanyoperationalandtacticaldeliverablesthatought

nottobeignored.Strategicexcellenceisalwaysmeanttobebuiltoveroperational

excellence.Employeeshavetheirfirstandlastencountersinorganizationsthroughthe

HRdepartmentandmomentsoftruthareexperiencedrealitiesinthoseencounters.

ThingsareastheyareandnotastheyoughttobeandHRalwayspaysthepricefor

theglassbeinghalfemptyratherthanhalffull.EventuallyitsthespiritofHRandnot

thecontent

and

process

that

makes

the

difference

and

those

who

know

these

things

knowthedifferenceitmakes. Andthespiritcomesfrominsideoutandnotoutsidein.

Therealtransformationsareinsideheads,heartsandmindsofpeoplewholiveand

experienceorganizationseveryday.

AneetaMadhokDecember2009.

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ReviewersProfile:AneetaMadhok,MBA(XLRI),PhD,CMC,GPHR.Isaglobalmanagementprofessional.SheistheDirectorofOpenSpacesConsulting(Private)LimitedandtheChairpersonfortheInternationalCouncilof

ManagementConsultingInstitutes.Dr.MadhokgraduatedwithadegreeinPsychologyHonoursfrom

DelhiUniversityandcompletedherMBAinHumanResourcesandOrganisationDevelopmentfromXLRI,

Jamshedpur.AfterhavingextensivelyworkedforeightyearsinallareasofPersonnelManagementand

HRD,sheundertookdoctoralstudiesandcompletedherPh.D.inthefieldofManagerialLeadershipand

WorkMotivationin1991.Dr.Madhoklooksforopportunitiestotranslatemanagementpracticeinto

theoryandviceversa.Sheiskeenlyinterestedinthewaysthatindividualsintegratethemselveswith

organizationsand

group

dynamics

in

teams.

Her

research

and

consulting

work

has

led

her

to

provide

insightsandmanagementprocesssolutionstoseveralleadingorganizations.Shehastohercreditover70

publicationsincludingrefereedarticles,consultingprojects,newspaperarticlesandbookreviews

publishednationallyandinternationally.SheisalsothePastPresidentoftheInstituteofManagement

ConsultantsofIndia,fellowofSumedhasAcademyforHumanContext,aCertifiedManagement

ConsultantandhasbeentherecipientofscholarshipawardedbytheForeignCommonwealthOfficeof

theUnitedKingdom,andtheBestManagementTeacherawardoftheBombayManagementAssociation.