You feel that tightening in your gut? A little twinge of fear? It is the topic of today’s post:
CONFLICT
There was some point in history where the HR guy was the king of conflict. It is true! I read about it in a book somewhere. The HR person was respected (and feared!) for going head first into any conflict, battering forward like a warship in the Pacific in World War II. He was a man of brauns and brain and could make a grown man cry with a snap of his fingers.
Then something happened.
HR became conflict adverse. They lamented being put into uncomfortable situations. They became little administrative people that were concerned more about EEO reporting and correct filing of I-9 forms rather than having a kickass business. Oh sure, they played lip service to that but that lip service turned HR from a significant player in any serious business (who often transitioned into operations and management roles) to an administrative wing placed uncomfortably under Finance.
I hope that in my time as an HR guy, we can balance the two. I hear a lot of hype about being a “change agent” but to be truly successful, HR guys need to become “conflict agents.” Not unnecessary conflict mind you but conflict that promotes real change and real business growth. Most organizations that are successful are ripe with strife and conflict. That’s why they are so good. And that’s why HR will continue to be excluded until they embrace conflict readily and throughly.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
oh yeah… heading off problems and conflicts by dealing with them directly head on like the warship you mentioned… sigh, I was one of those and was most respected in my job by the workers in the plant I worked for until someone higher up seemed to think I was getting just a bit too much respect and posed a threat to his own job.. the knife ended up in my back deviously and end of story (and HR job)…. sooo, if you want to do it that way, there is always a risk…! I can see why others do lay low…