How Can HR Earn a Seat at the Strategic Leadership Table?

Most HR employees work hard and want to help other employees. However, SHRM (the U.S. HR professional association) admits that one of their biggest challenges is to “get a seat at the strategic leadership table.”In my opinion, the opportunity for HR to earn a seat at the table not only exists but also points out a gap for what we believe is the biggest opportunity in business today.So, where is the challenge? This course will outline four major areas that are understood by many CEOs but may be major paradigm shifts for HR. Since SHRM data shows HR reporting into someone other than the CEO, President, or Owner about 35% of the time, these paradigm shifts may be helpful to both those who do report into the CEO and those reporting into the next level down. In both cases, the information represents a major opportunity for the CHRO to add significant value to the company.This course will begin with an understanding of who actually sits at the top of the strategic leadership table and what their primary focus is for the entire company. We will discuss how the CEO typically makes major company changes and then compare their approach to a typical HR approach. This discussion will explain how the CEO defines strategic versus what most HR groups consider strategic. The focus will then shift to how HR can become more strategic as defined by the CEO and Board. Included will be metrics that show how significant the opportunity is for most companies. Then we will share an example for how strategic thinking requires paradigm shift thinking to support the changing business environment that CEOs face everyday.Next, the focus shifts from strategic thinking to leadership and explains how leadership is critical to implement strategic paradigms. The discussion will include describing the difference between managing versus leading.Finally, we summarize how HR can Earn a Seat at the Strategic Leadership Table and be an integral part of the executive team.