This summer, following my invitation to deliver a keynote presentation to the Human Capital Institute’s Employee Engagement Conference in Denver, I noticed that David Foreman was also a featured speaker. His book, Fearless HR, had just been released; and our NASA Human Capital community had just discussed how we needed to be more “bold” in charting a path for the future of human capital in NASA.
So, I was intrigued and read Foreman’s book. Dave Ulrich—whom HR Magazine named the most influential thinker in HR of the decade—provided the introduction, noting how Foreman’s work offers HR professionals a positive pathway forward, based on evidence and practical tools. Ulrich outlines four trends to consider:
- HR is not about HR. In leading companies, HR shapes business value because HR does not start with HR, but with the business.
- HR is not just about talent. For 20 years HR has been focused on talent, and the war for talent has been the dominant metaphor for HR. Leading HR professionals manage both the workforce and workplace, talent and teamwork, individual competence and organization capabilities. Under the adage, culture eats strategy for breakfast, HR insights on culture move HR to a leading contributor to sustained business results. HR professionals must now become the architect for an organization’s capabilities and build a shared culture.
- HR for HR has arrived. HR professionals need to apply their insights to their own function and work. HR departments are increasingly becoming professional services units within their organizations where they turn their expertise on people, performance, information, and work into line manager client value.
- HR professionals demonstrate competencies that deliver business results.
With that introduction, I encourage you to explore David Foreman’s perspectives.
Click here to learn more about Fearless HR.