Overview
A practical process for turning human resources into a crucial component
of success -- from an HR professional who really did it!
"Foreword by Dave Ulrich
""It is easier to conceptualize, conceive, and write about utopia than
to actually make it happen. Thirty years ago, when some of us chose to
go into academics and live more in the world of ideas, Ralph Christensen
chose to go into the world of practice. To be honest, he was then and is
now one of the best 'thinkers' in the profession -- and he has shown
repeatedly that he can turn ideas into action.""
-- Dave Ulrich, from the Foreword
For decades now, human resources professionals have sounded the drumbeat
of change: HR must transform itself from an administrative function into
a strategic business partner. But it has been said so often, for so
long, and with so little concrete, real-life information on how to
actually achieve this new mission, that the message often sounds like a
wouldn't-it-be-nice scenario.
But it isn't. More and more traditional HR activities are being farmed
out to service centers, external vendors, and line managers. The work of
HR is changing, and more and more professionals realize that to succeed
in the future they must be part of the team that makes important
business decisions.
Roadmap to Strategic HR is a sorely needed prescription for achieving
strategic focus in complex organizations. Drawn from the author's more
than 25 years of experience and insights as an HR practitioner at
Hallmark and other companies, the book outlines a 10-step,
results-oriented plan for making the transition. It helps you integrate
top-quality tactical work with innovative internal systems -- talent
systems, training systems, reward systems, or work processes -- that
will meet the strategic business demands of your organization.
Easy-to-read, thought-provoking, and packed with real-world examples of
what worked and what didn't at Hallmark, Roadmap to Strategic HR helps
you:
* Boil down the reams of research and concepts into a comprehensible
plan you can successfully implement.
* Understand the business realities that are driving change, including
employees afraid for their jobs, and demanding and scarce customers.
* Compress the multitude of HR activities into five fundamental
processes: workforce planning and staffing, learning and development,
organization development, performance management, and employee relations.
* Examine each of the five processes through a powerful strategic lens.
* Resolve the tensions between HR specialists and HR generalists.
* Build a real partnership between the frontline managers and HR staff.
* Identify the competencies required of HR professionals who assume the
crucial role of "organizational architect.?
* Recognize the roadblocks and political landmines that might lurk along
the way.
The connection between people issues and business success is
irrefutable. As the author so aptly puts it: "Talent is the engine
behind the creation of all value.? Roadmap to Strategic HR is the most
succinct, most practical book available for strengthening the link
between people and value -- for building a department that drives
excellence throughout the organization -- and for honing your
department's focus so that it stays locked on the marketplace and the
business strategy."
About the Author
Ralph Christensen (Leawood, KS) was Senior Vice President at Hallmark
and vice president of HR at Wyatt Company and Digital Equipment Corp.
(DEC). He is now a consultant, with clients in the United States, Asia,
and Germany.
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Table of Contents
"Foreword
Preface
The Complexity of the Challenge
From Rigid Administrators to Strategic Contributors
Assess the Organization's Readiness for Change
Develop a Framework and Language for HR
Understand the Senior HR Leader's Role as Organizational Architect
Clarify Line Management's Role in Creating and Owning Human
Resources Strategy
Create a Human and Organizational Strategy
Understand the Five Human Resources Processes Through a Strategic Lens
Understand Workforce Planning and Staffing Through a Strategic Lens
Understand Performance Management Through a Strategic Lens
Understand Organization Development Through a Strategic Lens
Understand Learning and Development Through a Strategic Lens
Understand Employee Relations Through a Strategic Lens
Clarify the Roles of Generalist and Specialist
Design the Structure of Your New HR Organization
Assess and Upgrade Your HR Talent
Managing the Roadblocks in Making the Transition to Strategic HR
Managing Your Career in the Field of Strategic Human Resources
The Future of Human Resources
Index"
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