Meeting Check-In: Give Your Answer BEFORE Your Meeting Participants (Be Vulnerable!
Summary:
Encourage vulnerability by sharing your most embarrassing injury first, allowing meeting participants to feel more comfortable in sharing their own experiences.
Transcript:
Speaker 2
Let's check-in with this question. Rodney, what is your most embarrassing injury? Ah! Also, I'm happy to go first because I did legitimately spring this on you. And usually when I'm working with clients and I give them a kind of a tricky check-in, I'll go first so they have a chance to think. Would you like me to do that?
Speaker 1
Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. Okay, cool.)
- Time 0:00:57
-

(highlight:: Change Management: Focus on the Middle of the Ground Folks Before Convincing Naysayers
Summary:
It is essential to focus on engaging the middle group who are open to change rather than getting fixated on convincing naysayers immediately.
Engaging with the progressive individuals in the team first can help in demonstrating progress and gathering evidence to influence those who are initially hesitant. This approach can be more effective in steering the overall team towards accepting and embracing change.
Transcript:
Speaker 2
Where my head goes immediately is that this is not even just like an HR team thing. This is like an anybody team thing where there is the possibility of doing things differently. And you've got the few folks who probably could be employees at the ready. They're so like so progressive and like down to do whatever. Like those people are great. I love finding those folks. They're a lot of fun. It's great to have allies. There's the big chunk in the middle who are like, yeah, you know, like I'll go along and get along like there's some interesting ideas here, but I have some reservations. And then there's always the kind of sticks in the mud that they're going to be loud about how they disagree with what's going on here. And I think where my mind goes first is to not get fixated on the naysayers right off of the bat. Like I think it's my first move generally because I want everyone to love me is to go to the people who don't and try to convince them that they should.
Speaker 1
Please like me. I'm so great.
Speaker 2
How well do you think that works?
Speaker 1
Not super well. I think it's really annoying. Super great.
Speaker 2
So I think the move is to go to more of that middle of the curve to the more progressive of the curve and start there where you can. Because what you can do is start to show progress and start to show some actual evidence that there is something here. And that often helps move people further down the curve who would normally be standing there with their arms crossed kind of frowning at you. So that's my first thought.)
- Time 0:13:20
-

(highlight:: Change Management: Setting Expectations and Acknowledging The Incremental Nature of Change
Summary:
Acknowledging the past failures in change efforts is crucial when leading a new transformation initiative.
It is essential to provide real education on why and how the current change will be different. Emphasizing that the change will be incremental and not an all-or-nothing endeavor helps to maintain momentum and progress.
Directly communicating the buy-in from the business, highlighting specific individuals who are supportive and enthusiastic about the change, can be more compelling than vague transformation goals.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
You know, a lot of this is more informed by my experience nature than it is by being a board designer externally. I feel like you've got to acknowledge for people what has come before. So like if you're leading an HR team and this is their fourth fucking transformation and the first three are like the 70 to 80% of transformation efforts that are considered failure Statistically, you cannot just go in and be like, this time it's going to be different, you guys. Like, why would any rational actor believe you? You know? And so I feel like there has to be some acknowledgement and real education around why and how this is going to be different and the ways to talk about it are like, this isn't going to just Be like a plan with a bunch of communications. We are going to do this incrementally so that no matter where we stop, we have moves to keep. It's not an all or nothing game. And I also think talking directly about the buy in from the business is really important because especially when you're an HR business partner and your primary allegiance frankly Is to your internal client. When you're like, look, Frank and finance is fired the fuck up about this and he wants to be on the first mission based team with you. That for me as a business partner is much more compelling than we're going to transform HR.)
- Time 0:14:49
-

(highlight:: Explaining the Value of HR from a Human Capital Perspective
Summary:
The value of companies has shifted towards intangible assets like human capital and knowledge.
HR should be seen as protecting the assets of the company, just like a CFO would protect tangible assets. HR leaders can demonstrate their value by showing how they contribute to hiring, retention, and creating a positive culture, leading to significant returns on investment.
HR creates unseen value by helping finance understand the savings and benefits generated, not just the expenses incurred.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
Most companies now, like somewhere between 80 and 90% of the value of companies is intangible. It's human capital and it's knowledge. Whereas in the 70s, 90% of companies value was tangible assets. So if you think about that, it's like a CFO of a company that is making cars wouldn't be like, let's just let the factory floor become overrun with like rust and rats and hope for the best. And that's the kind of mindset that we need to be applying to the human beings in the system because they're the cars now that we're making. And so there are a lot of people, particularly Thoretti who hate using the word resources for human beings. But I think in terms of how finance looks at this, you have to look at the way that you are protecting the assets of the company and what it costs you if you don't protect the assets of the Company. And I heard someone talking really recently about the ways in which she makes case around her own value as an HR leader and she will draw a direct line for her CEO to be like, you know, when He's praising the top saleswoman in the org, she'll be like, I designed the process that hired that person and the incentive package that kept that person and created the culture that She doesn't want to leave, even though she's getting four calls from recruiters a week. That's a lot of money. That is a lot of return on the investment in me, spread multiply that across this organization. So I think it's helping the finance people sometimes look at what is being saved even over what is being spent because a lot of times that is where HR is creating a ton, a ton of unseen value.
Speaker 2
Totally, totally. I think that's really smart and where my head goes. I can't decide if it's depressing that a large part of the job is like telling the story of like what you are doing because nobody else can see it.)
- Time 0:24:16
-

Meeting Check-In: Give Your Answer BEFORE Your Meeting Participants (Be Vulnerable!
Summary:
Encourage vulnerability by sharing your most embarrassing injury first, allowing meeting participants to feel more comfortable in sharing their own experiences.
Transcript:
Speaker 2
Let's check-in with this question. Rodney, what is your most embarrassing injury? Ah! Also, I'm happy to go first because I did legitimately spring this on you. And usually when I'm working with clients and I give them a kind of a tricky check-in, I'll go first so they have a chance to think. Would you like me to do that?
Speaker 1
Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. Okay, cool.)
- Time 0:00:57
-

(highlight:: Change Management: Focus on the Middle of the Ground Folks Before Convincing Naysayers
Summary:
It is essential to focus on engaging the middle group who are open to change rather than getting fixated on convincing naysayers immediately.
Engaging with the progressive individuals in the team first can help in demonstrating progress and gathering evidence to influence those who are initially hesitant. This approach can be more effective in steering the overall team towards accepting and embracing change.
Transcript:
Speaker 2
Where my head goes immediately is that this is not even just like an HR team thing. This is like an anybody team thing where there is the possibility of doing things differently. And you've got the few folks who probably could be employees at the ready. They're so like so progressive and like down to do whatever. Like those people are great. I love finding those folks. They're a lot of fun. It's great to have allies. There's the big chunk in the middle who are like, yeah, you know, like I'll go along and get along like there's some interesting ideas here, but I have some reservations. And then there's always the kind of sticks in the mud that they're going to be loud about how they disagree with what's going on here. And I think where my mind goes first is to not get fixated on the naysayers right off of the bat. Like I think it's my first move generally because I want everyone to love me is to go to the people who don't and try to convince them that they should.
Speaker 1
Please like me. I'm so great.
Speaker 2
How well do you think that works?
Speaker 1
Not super well. I think it's really annoying. Super great.
Speaker 2
So I think the move is to go to more of that middle of the curve to the more progressive of the curve and start there where you can. Because what you can do is start to show progress and start to show some actual evidence that there is something here. And that often helps move people further down the curve who would normally be standing there with their arms crossed kind of frowning at you. So that's my first thought.)
- Time 0:13:20
-

(highlight:: Change Management: Setting Expectations and Acknowledging The Incremental Nature of Change
Summary:
Acknowledging the past failures in change efforts is crucial when leading a new transformation initiative.
It is essential to provide real education on why and how the current change will be different. Emphasizing that the change will be incremental and not an all-or-nothing endeavor helps to maintain momentum and progress.
Directly communicating the buy-in from the business, highlighting specific individuals who are supportive and enthusiastic about the change, can be more compelling than vague transformation goals.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
You know, a lot of this is more informed by my experience nature than it is by being a board designer externally. I feel like you've got to acknowledge for people what has come before. So like if you're leading an HR team and this is their fourth fucking transformation and the first three are like the 70 to 80% of transformation efforts that are considered failure Statistically, you cannot just go in and be like, this time it's going to be different, you guys. Like, why would any rational actor believe you? You know? And so I feel like there has to be some acknowledgement and real education around why and how this is going to be different and the ways to talk about it are like, this isn't going to just Be like a plan with a bunch of communications. We are going to do this incrementally so that no matter where we stop, we have moves to keep. It's not an all or nothing game. And I also think talking directly about the buy in from the business is really important because especially when you're an HR business partner and your primary allegiance frankly Is to your internal client. When you're like, look, Frank and finance is fired the fuck up about this and he wants to be on the first mission based team with you. That for me as a business partner is much more compelling than we're going to transform HR.)
- Time 0:14:49
-

(highlight:: Explaining the Value of HR from a Human Capital Perspective
Summary:
The value of companies has shifted towards intangible assets like human capital and knowledge.
HR should be seen as protecting the assets of the company, just like a CFO would protect tangible assets. HR leaders can demonstrate their value by showing how they contribute to hiring, retention, and creating a positive culture, leading to significant returns on investment.
HR creates unseen value by helping finance understand the savings and benefits generated, not just the expenses incurred.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
Most companies now, like somewhere between 80 and 90% of the value of companies is intangible. It's human capital and it's knowledge. Whereas in the 70s, 90% of companies value was tangible assets. So if you think about that, it's like a CFO of a company that is making cars wouldn't be like, let's just let the factory floor become overrun with like rust and rats and hope for the best. And that's the kind of mindset that we need to be applying to the human beings in the system because they're the cars now that we're making. And so there are a lot of people, particularly Thoretti who hate using the word resources for human beings. But I think in terms of how finance looks at this, you have to look at the way that you are protecting the assets of the company and what it costs you if you don't protect the assets of the Company. And I heard someone talking really recently about the ways in which she makes case around her own value as an HR leader and she will draw a direct line for her CEO to be like, you know, when He's praising the top saleswoman in the org, she'll be like, I designed the process that hired that person and the incentive package that kept that person and created the culture that She doesn't want to leave, even though she's getting four calls from recruiters a week. That's a lot of money. That is a lot of return on the investment in me, spread multiply that across this organization. So I think it's helping the finance people sometimes look at what is being saved even over what is being spent because a lot of times that is where HR is creating a ton, a ton of unseen value.
Speaker 2
Totally, totally. I think that's really smart and where my head goes. I can't decide if it's depressing that a large part of the job is like telling the story of like what you are doing because nobody else can see it.)
- Time 0:24:16
-