People are the key to the success of any organisation. Every person has unique strengths, weaknesses, passions and challenges. The role of HR is to channel these qualities for the good of everyone involved in a workplace.
A good Human Resources manager can improve motivation, keep staff focused on solutions and positive outcomes, identify issues before they arise, and constructively deal with incidents between groups and individuals which affect smooth work flow.
So what does Good HR look like? There are three keys: approachability, communication, and an eye for the big picture.
- Approachability
An approachable HR person has the trust of their co-workers. They treat workplace issues as challenges to be overcome together rather than conflicts. Employees need to know that their managers know and understand them on a personal level, so an effective HR person sees that there are different ways to work with people and chooses the right one for the situation, avoiding offence and maintaining professionalism. - Communication
Great HR people don’t just communicate effectively – they model communication. Potential conflicts can often be contained or avoided outright when those involved are communicating effectively.
This means actively listening to all sides of contentious issues. Good communicators are genuinely interested in learning the views of their colleagues, rather than scoring points or ‘winning’ arguments. - The Big Picture
Having an eye for the big picture means knowing the strategic goals of your organisation, and knowing how each team and each individual contributes to achieving those goals. When viewed in terms of the big picture, Human Resources management can include training, research and development, finding the right people for the right job, recruitment, and managing growth. It’s also vital to be able to make this broader view clear to employees, so they can see how their work has an impact on the overall success of the company.
If personal issues within teams aren’t addressed in a timely fashion, managers can find themselves constantly putting out fires rather than dealing with the core goals of their organisation. Effective HR frees managers to focus on developing wider strategies and future-proofing their company, making for a team which looks outward to fresh horizons rather that inward at potential or actual conflicts.
With effective and professional HR management, everyone in an organisation can more easily pursue their personal and work goals.
Any questions? We’d love to chat.
