Exit the leadership vortex: to whom do operational leaders ultimately owe allegiance?
I was recently at a function at the House of Commons at which the seasoned CEO of a multinational financial services organisation aptly described the environment of business leadership much akin to operating in a vortex. In reality, amidst widespread confusion, if not chaos, leaders lack effective control of the speed, direction, indeed the ultimate […]
Let’s settle this. Is there an “I” in “team”?
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
HR and the bottom line – where does the value lie?
The human resources department has not always been perceived as having a big impact on the profitability of a company, in the same way as, say, sales or finance. But this perception is perhaps a little unfair. After all, who is responsible for the talent that drives those departments? When you strip everything back, it […]
It’s time to stop looking in the wrong place for the wrong people
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
The role of transformational leaders in wellbeing
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Book review: Building the Pyramid by John Stein
HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]
EXCLUSIVE: HR is at a crossroads and we need to act
Just one in 10 UK organisations rate their HR performance as ‘excellent’ and none believe their organisation provides ‘excellent’ development for HR. A further 66% said their HR functions lacked the capabilities needed to meet the rate of change across the organisation. Released as part of Deloitte’s UK Human Capital Trends report, an annual survey […]
10 questions: how well do you know your workforce?
Many young and fast growing companies are expanding and recruiting fast. While these are exciting trends, new challenges are quickly emerging regarding their people. When everyone was co-located in the same office, and everyone knew everybody, knowing your workforce was easy. Now these companies are bigger – and people are dispersed across different offices and […]
Developing your high-potentials to retain business-critical talent
As the war for talent heats up and businesses compete for the skills they need, there is more pressure than ever on employers to create development opportunities for their staff in order to attract and retain the best talent. Hiring the best candidates you possibly can is an important first step but it’s not enough […]
Minimising leadership risk – and why it matters
One of the most surprising findings of our research into FTSE 100 companies is that while many recognise the positive impact of effective leadership management on business performance, this is not supported by any notable action. 67% of companies identified people, talent and key management as a principal risk – up from 44% in 2011 […]
Is your organisation too lean?
Throughout the highs and lows of the recession, businesses have had to batten down the hatches. While it would be a tad dramatic to suggest that this period of time has been solely about survival, many businesses have been left with no option but to make lifestyle changes. They have shed some weight and kept […]
How can companies succeed in a digital economy?
The digital age is moving at such a pace that it is fundamentally transforming the way that organisations operate. With digital here to stay, companies which do not embrace the opportunity, risk joining the growing list of old-economy organisations that have fallen by the wayside. Yet there is no single way to prepare for success […]
Why understanding leadership chasms will restore the reputation and value of managers
It’s tough at the top, and harder to get there. Before you plant a flag and celebrate your successful climb to HR Director, how would you feel if your reputation and value to the organisation had both plummeted into a black hole on the way up? I call this a ‘leadership chasm’, and ask HR […]
How can leaders become more inclusive?
Most leaders today recognise the benefits of sharing responsibility. The days of top-down hierarchies are almost behind us. It’s difficult for an elite group of people at the top to cope with the complex challenges facing organisations today without involving others. No matter what market you operate in, there is still a lot of volatility […]
Help your leadership team decide what they want to be famous for
All organisations need to work on strategy, operations and relationships; that’s not in question, but to help their organisations stand out and really compete leaders should decide which of these areas they’re going to major in and answer the question ‘what do we want to be famous for?’. Is it strategic focus; reading the market, […]
10 most read articles from 2014
Happy new year all! If you're trying to pack in a bit more HR insight before we roll into 2015, take a look at the below – our top 10 most-read pieces from 2014. Enjoy. 1. The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence New evidence, according to Professor Adam Grant from Wharton School of Business, suggests […]
Which famous leader is your boss most like?
Bosses and managers come in all kinds of guises, which affects our experiences with them and the nature of our work life. Some are fair, some are tyrants and some are push-overs, so we learn to handle them in different ways. This has been the case throughout history, and you can guarantee that in every […]
Are we witnessing the re-emergence of the HR Business Partner?
The HR Business Partner badge is nothing new; it has been around for well over a decade. It was David Ulrich, who in his 1997 book “Human Resource Champions,” first identified this model of functional support. However, what is interesting is how many organisations are now giving much more attention to the design and impact […]
Putting leadership under the magnifying glass
Why leadership development needs to be company-wide, focussed on self-awareness and enhanced interpersonal skills. Leadership response to recession We conducted two studies with managers of UK headquartered organisations in 2011 and 2013, totalling around 400 respondents, looking at the way UK leaders in the private sector are responding and contributing to the economic recovery. One […]
What is host leadership?
A host is someone who receives or entertains guests. This is a position with which we are all familiar, at some level. Think about your experience of hosting people in your home or at a celebration. Hosts sometimes have to act heroically – stepping forward, planning, inviting, introducing, providing. They also act in service: stepping […]