We were in the middle of a large-scale turnaround project. I had recently been selected to serve as operations director, and when we reviewed the full line P&L, it wasn’t pretty. Not only were we losing money, but the problems were numerous and multi-layered. They included things like legacy products that were losing money at the product cost level, too many manufacturing sites that raised our overhead, dramatic shifts in demand and technology changes that caused design investments and capital equipment to be obsolete before it was depreciated.
The good news was that we had talented people who really wanted to right the ship.
Spoiler: We did eventually right the ship, but by overusing my core Growth Leader capacity of Architect, I nearly sunk us before we got started.
I am not the hero of this story. Yes, I did my job, but without the insight and partnership of my executive sponsor and a talented HR leader, this story would have had a very different outcome.
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This is the second article in a 3-part series where we take a deep dive on the three essential members of sustainable Growth Leadership teams in complex organizations: the Sponsor, the Growth Leader, and the HR Partner. If you missed the dynamics of the system article, you can find it here, and the first deep dive piece on Sponsor is here. The final piece is upcoming soon.
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In this post, I’ll unpack three of the competencies that experience has taught me to look for when coaching, building or deploying successful teams. All three need to be present to create teams that not only succeed commercially, but also create stronger team members who go off to become serial value builders.
#1: Truth Tell
What is this activity?
Specifically, it is about speaking truth to power, with grace and tact. There is an old adage that speaks to the idea that once we are promoted, we are never as slim, funny or insightful as we think we are. In complex organizations, your team members will provide a wide road of deference to your ideas that frankly may be taking the group down the wrong path. Having someone that is willing to tell us that which we need to hear (even if we don’t want to) is priceless.
How does it work?
It begins with the willingness to receive feedback. Many leaders think they are open to clear honest insight, but what they tell people non verbally is that they’re actually looking for confirmation instead. It takes real work to have the empathy and humility to listen and receive coaching – particularly in our blind spots. HR partners that become trusted resources find a way to engage leaders who need them, teach them about their strengths and their shadows, then provide the key insights that are in their blind spots.
What value does it provide?
Having a truth teller keeps us from doubling down on our strengths when we need to use a new approach. The price of failure here can take out entire business units and firms (see post here).
When I first met with my HR partner, she was kind but direct. My core strength was developing and implementing strategic plans, and when those didn’t create progress fast, my natural instincts were to go back and develop more initiatives. What she was able to help me see is that I needed to put some distance between strategic direction changes to allow the group to have success.
#2: Diagnostician
What is this activity?
In their role as the diagnostician, the skilled HR partner is able to clearly see the signs and symptoms and connect them to both the group and individual actions of the leader and the team. By sharing their experiences and insights, the HR partner reduces complex issues to actionable actions and points of emphasis.
How does it work?
Great HR partners bring a wealth of experience and training to the table, and this shows up as “radar” that allows the HR partner to see issues when they are nascent and more easily workable. Having previously done deep work in personality profiles and groups, they are able to help the leader and the team see style differences that create shadows and blind spots and put them in front of the group early so they can be worked in a positive and direct way.
Additionally, my HR partner had me complete several diagnostic tools that clarified my leadership preferences to unpack my strengths and blind spots. Having this insight was like shades were lifted and I was able to connect the negative outcomes directly to the way I was choosing to shape the interactions with my team, my peers and my executive sponsor.
What value does it provide?
A skilled HR diagnostician will give you very clear insight into yourself, including all aspects of communications, setting expectations, and knowing how to build rapport quickly. Through this work, I was able to practice new ways to facilitate, set expectations and be sure the team truly was bringing its best thinking and effort to the challenge.
The application of new tools and techniques is hard. Skilled HR leaders take the time to do the “sidebar” teaching that is needed to keep you and the team from getting off track.
#3: Application & Resource Expert
What is This Activity?
An HR partner will have a very rich set of experiences, resources, and tools that they can use to build a solution space around the Growth Leader. This can be introductions to other subject matter experts, resources and articles and simply good, solid coaching around specific situations.
The truth is that experience is a great teacher and the issues that come up during the crucible of leadership demand timely attention. By bringing just the right tool at the right time, a skilled wingman keeps burnout at bay and also paves the road just in front of the Growth Leader.
What Value Does it Provide?
My weekly coaching sessions became critical to the ongoing success of the group. These were carefully scaled to get to my specific “knots in the rope” that were at the intersection of the team’s needs, my unique leadership footprint and the expectations and needs of our clients. Much like a skilled instructor pilot watches you fly and provides only the coaching needed, a skilled HR partner can pull just on the right thread at the right time.
Perhaps the least well-understood role, the HR partner is the essential link to getting the Growth Leadership work done in the firm while growing the team’s capability to handle more challenging work down the road. Keeping burnout at bay, and dealing with the imposter syndrome as it arises, will keep your best team members on your team and not checking LinkedIn for new roles.
If you’d like to make a shift and launch more efficient and powerful growth teams, It would be great to talk. Our work involves equipping firms and leaders to have outstanding results by activating the right project, the right team with the right plan. We have built coaching and tools based on deep knowledge and experience for complex firms and their leaders. Please reach out via 847-651-1014 or use this link to set up a short call.
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