Pester Esther

Q. The Management Board at my organisation (a retailer of sorts) is commonly known as the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ because once people join it they’re hardly ever seen again. The culture of the MB is that they’re distant strategists, unfettered by the seemingly dirty business of managing people, and they leave all forms of staff communication to junior line managers and HR. Assuming I can even get five minutes in the diary of my HRD to discuss such a ‘tactical’ matter, how can I convince him that he and his colleagues should be upping their visibility?

I too get frustrated when I hear about organisations that believe in the ‘Ivory Tower’ management school. It’s hard to understand how this culture of managing by distance, not keeping in touch and communicating entirely through junior staff can really be effective in today’s retail world.

Have the Management Board never heard of ‘back to the shop floor’ initiatives that are now the norm in many forward-thinking (and, incidentally, profitable) retailers? Truly understanding your business is a core competency of HR professionals and your HRD should be leading by example. How can you manage a business if you don’t know what your customers want, or rarely think about your offering? How can you run a business if you don’t know what your other retail competitors are doing so you can retain competitive advantage? And how can you run a successful business if you don’t know what your people are thinking and doing each day, and understand the environment within which they work?

Sorry for the rant, but I really do share your frustration.

So, what can you do about it? Do you have any evidence from staff surveys that demonstrate people want more visibility from their leaders, that you could use to encourage them to change? Is the MB aware of the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ tag? Would they be secretly pleased or ashamed of this label?

Do you have any success stories you can share with your HRD about leaders in similar organisations who really engage with their workforce? (I’m thinking about the John Lewis Partnership, or Justin King and Terry Leahy – great leaders in their heyday – who believed in the importance of spending time on the shop floor.)

Do hijack some time in your HRD’s diary, but make sure it’s more than just five minutes. Ensure you’re fully prepared regarding the business value of visible leadership. Being able to give examples of improvements to bottom line financial results, increased productivity, excellent customer service metrics or improved retention should help.

Here’s a thought – you could be creative and suggest a ‘reverse development programme.’ This is where junior staff get to spend a day with a member of the ExCo, doing a work shadow placement, and then it happens in reverse with the ExCo member spending a day with one of their workers.

I believe HR should lead the way in this. So somehow, you have to get your HRD on side and listening. This will be a big test of your business acumen in pulling together a compelling commercial reason to change, and of your influencing skills in getting him to agree to take action. Good luck.

Q. Our HRD is 29 and has been promoted from a HRBP role by a CEO who thinks she’s gutsy. She isn’t: she’s naive, out of her depth and crap. Is there a way to get rid?

Aha! Do I sense a little bit of jealousy here? Is your view of her ability slightly clouded by the fact she’s been promoted to HRD at just 29?

Interestingly, your CEO thinks she’s ‘gutsy’ – another word for not being risk averse, not being afraid to challenge and being open to change. All these are great qualities for a HRD. Which is why he possibly decided to promote her and not someone else from the team, perhaps?

In what situations does she come across as being ‘out of her depth and crap’? If she’s operated at HRBP level previously, she must have demonstrated technical capability at a generalist level, understood the business you work in, built credible relationships with senior leaders and been supportive of forward thinking HR. Are you sure you’re being fair?

Your last question, ‘Is there a way to get rid?’, is very strong and has a slightly threatening undertone. Presumably you’re a fairly senior member of the HR team. Why are you not supporting her if you feel she’s out of her depth? After all, isn’t that what HR is all about – supporting the development and learning of people within the organisation, having open conversations around performance, not being afraid to challenge? Try working with her more, rather than looking for ways to catch her out.

It comes down to two things, really. If you’re resentful of her promotion, you just need to get over it. And if she really is ‘crap’ and others share this view, help her to improve. You might feel much better about things – and about yourself – helping someone to get better rather than trying to find ways of getting them fired.

Send your HR queries in confidence to Esther at editorial@hrville.co.uk

About the author

Esther O'Halloran

Esther runs an independent HR Consultancy offering business-savvy commercial skills, practical solutions and insights to senior leaders and HR teams. She has been Managing Director at Paul, and worked as an HR practitioner for organisations such as Jigsaw, EAT, Pret a Manger and SpaceNK. Esther is a Fellow Member of the CIPD and enjoys Extreme Baking in her spare time.