1. Position Yourself as a Business Partner and Consultant
Just like sales reps and consultants call on customers, be sure to make calls on your internal customers to determine their needs, challenges and then show how you can help them. Human Resource professionals are often viewed as an expense; therefore it’s critical to create value, especially with departments that impact revenue. Make a point of meeting with internal advocates and key influencers to learn more about them. Remember to ask the magic question, “What are your priority strategic initiatives and how can I help you achieve them?” Also, ask for a copy of their department strategic plan and goals and find a way to add value. Try for a breakfast or lunch meeting and remember to send “thank you” notes and follow up on promises.
2. Thoroughly Understand Your Business
Too many HR professionals keep themselves isolated from the front line and the core business. If you want to be viewed as a business partner, you need to thoroughly know the business your employer is in. Figure out how you can help the revenue generators do their business better. Arrange to go on sales and service calls or listen in on typical customer calls. Get a sense of the issues facing your customers and employees. Read industry magazines, product literature and view the company website. If you are in a non-profit or government agency, visit areas that have direct contact with your stakeholders.
3. Get Published
A series of well written articles will help position you as an expert, build credibility and possibly give you a competitive advantage for promotions and job searches. Here are some things to do to get published and build credibility. Contact editors in key HR industry journals as well as those read by your CEO. Offer to write an article on a topic you feel is timely. Supplement your own knowledge with research on the internet and even interviewing opinion leaders in your industry. Assuming there are no restrictions at your company, writing a blog also helps you build additional credibility as an expert. Just be sure you provide high value to the readers so you can Be Vivid! Be Vibrant! Be Valued!TM. Want to know how to become an expert? Check out this blog http://www.copyblogger.com/become-an-expert/.
4. Employee Motivation Using Dream Boards
In our general session, High Definition People™ – The Key To Ignite Passion and Experience Life and Work in Vivid Color!, a few weeks ago at the SHRM AZ Annual Conference, Bob Romano and I shared how companies and individuals can use both individual and department dream boards to increase employee motivation, engage staff and ignite some passion in these challenging times. In fact, I just delivered an Inspired Leadership workshop to help managers be better coaches and mentors. One manager in the workshop shared how she used a team Dream Board and had a very positive reaction from her staff. An HR professional who was in our audience told us afterwards that she never even considered having her department create a team dream board and intended to facilitate her team in creating one.
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