The Hindu Business Line : HR initiatives — why some succeed and many fail

Manoj (not the real name) is walking out of his CEO’s office with a big smile and a rush of enthusiasm. This is his first meeting with the boss and the CEO of the organisation. The CEO’s vision and one-line expectation of wanting him to make this the best workplace has truly fired the imagination of this young HR leader.

What do you think Manoj does when he gets back to his desk? Think deeply? Or write out a concept note? No, not really. He picks up the phone and calls the consultant!

As an HR consultant, I shudder to be on the other end of such a call. I shudder because I have realised through much pain that HR leaders who are quick on the draw are also seriously off the mark. On the other hand, the ones who take the time to think deeply and then act sensibly are a pleasure to work with.

CEOs and HR leaders want to develop people, measure employee engagement, change the performance management system, launch a culture of coaching, revisit their common purpose, initiate a culture change, and so on.

All of these are important initiatives that deserve to succeed. Thousands of employees are fed on the promise of these initiatives making their lives better. Crores of rupees are being spent and they deserve to be spent well. Most importantly, on the success of these initiatives depends the image and reputation of the CEO and the HR professional.

In my experience, the following are the five big factors that seem to contribute to the success or failure of any of these HR initiatives:

Is there conceptual clarity — Behind any initiative or intervention is a science and concept. When the HR leader is conceptually clear about how the intervention will actually work, why the chosen approach is appropriate and what the critical success factors are, there is a great chance that the initiative will succeed.

On the other hand, when he wants to create a common purpose in a two-day off-site or chooses to spend all his learning and development budget on assessment centres with little left for actual development or when he launches an individual rewards programme when, in fact, team performance is critical you know that conceptual clarity is missing.

Is this the priority — Quite often many HR initiatives are not in tune with ground realities. HR may be busy launching an on-line performance management system when in fact there is significant confusion about roles and accountabilities. HR may launch an elaborate employee survey despite having a huge pending agenda from the last survey. I have personally gone through the embarrassment of employees telling me that what they actually need is not what I am there for and that I am the third consultant meeting them about this.

Good HR leaders do what is relevant and do not get carried away by what looks good.

Is there strong sponsorship — While many CEOs make all the right statements about their commitment to HR, their actions often do not match up. They launch huge learning initiatives but do nothing about managers who take away all their nominees from the classroom minutes before the launch. They talk about a culture of change but hesitate to the take the first bold step. Managers soon figure out what is really important and the HR leader is left holding on to a weak initiative and perhaps a frustrated consultant! HR leaders must have the ability to secure the unstinting support of the real sponsor before getting started on anything. Good HR leaders are alive to the CEO’s priorities and pressures and are willing to wait for the right timing. They realise that their biggest bargaining power is before they get started and not after.

Have the political landmines been diffused — While the CEO may support the initiative, it is equally important that the HR leader’s colleagues and operating managers support it on the ground. While many HR leaders are aware of these political undercurrents, they are at a loss to do something about it. So, what do the good HR leaders do that the others don’t? For one, they are quite inclusive in their style. They also take the risk of confronting any interpersonal cobwebs that may be in the air by doing some levelling, some self-disclosure and contracting. In extreme cases, they respect the operating managers’ judgment and give them the choice of staying out of such an initiative, albeit temporarily.

Has the communication been effective — Beyond all this, real success depends on how well an initiative is communicated within the organisation. The task of communication is often grossly underestimated in India. A mail and a poster and a manager meeting are seen as adequate to rally the troops. In fact, the biggest communication failure is often within the HR team. The HR generalists and partners on the ground are often the last to be informed about the grand initiatives launched by corporate HR from headquarters. So, they end up looking apologetic in front of their colleagues and over a period of time turn cynical about what corporate HR does.

Communication in India needs to be a personal process, a dialogue. It is not about sharing information. It is about sharing the excitement and the possibilities.

In addition to these five determinants of success are things such as good planning, resource allocation and, of course, prioritising. Initiative overload must be avoided.

So, how do I ward off the likes of Manoj from sending me on a wild goose chase? Here is the secret. When I sense trouble, I ask my prospective clients to send me a one-page concept note outlining their expectations. The serious ones often send me one immediately. The rest, well, never get back!

(The writer is the founder and CEO of totus consulting, a strategic HR Consulting firm. He is also the co-founder of the Executive & Business Coaching Foundation India Ltd. He can be reached at ganesh@totusconsulting.com)

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