7 Ways To Build Your Credibility in HR With Your Business Leaders ...

by Alan Collins

I?ll never forget an exchange I had with an HR manager.

At the time, I was conducting an employee misconduct investigation at a manufacturing plant where she?d worked for more than three years.

I asked her, ?Can you walk me through the plant?s production process? It would be helpful for me to know during my interviews.?

She gave me a puzzled look and said:

?I have no idea about how the business here?operates?I?m in HR.?

After a pause, she then added: ?I?ll get one of our front line supervisors to do that for you.?

I was stunned.

Interestingly, that morning over breakfast, she had complained that she was not being taken seriously by her executive leadership team.

I now knew why.

And now, at that moment when could have impressed the heck out of me with her knowledge of her business?she failed!

And, her credibility in my eyes as an HR pro dropped faster than a brick falling off a tall building.

I?m sorry. ?I make quick judgments. ?I?m human.

And I judged her harshly. ?But I don?t apologize for that.

Unfortunately, I still get surprised when I encounter those in our profession who resist getting knowledgeable about the very business they want to help guide.

If this has happened to you, be assured that your influence and impact with your business leaders is headed for the toilet ? if it?s not already there ? if you don?t address this issue fast.

How do you turn this around?

Here are seven ways you can build your business know-how ? quickly!

1. ?Get in the Trenches!

If your company has manufacturing plants, get out on the floor with the folks on the frontline who make the product. Talk to them about their issues, not HR issues. ? As a junior HR generalist, I was told: ?You need to get out and walk the plant floor on regular basis. That?s the best way of getting a pulse beat on the business. In fact, if you don?t have to buy a pair of shoes every six months, you?re not doing your job.?

Customers are the lifeblood of any organization. Get some of your sales reps to let you go on sales calls with them to learn the needs of the customers and consumers of your business. Or set aside a few hours on a regular basis and watch how your customer service reps work with irate customer calls.

Whenever possible, set up routine meetings with your colleagues in Purchasing, Engineering, Marketing, R&D on their turf (not yours) to learn the challenges they face in their area of the organization. ?Make this one of your weekly priorities.

2. ?Start a Regular Reading Program on Your Business!?

Become familiar with the strategic business plans for your unit.

Read your company?s annual report.

Read the same industry trade publications or investor reports that your business leaders read.

Beef up your understanding of balance sheets and P&L statements. For this, read: ?How To Read A Financial Report? published by Merrill Lynch and download it online.

3. ?Make Friends with Finance!

You don?t have to bug the crap out of your CFO.

Instead, find a financial manager who helps pull the numbers that show how the business is performing.

Lunch and learn with him or her.

Get their coaching on how your business makes money. Build a relationship.

Offer to return the favor by becoming a resource to them on HR issues.

4. ?Bond with Investor Relations!

If you?re in a publicly traded company, the folks in the Investor Relations (IR) group are the key story tellers who have to explain to shareholders everything from the latest SEC filing to the quarterly earnings or latest product launches.

When they?re not scrambling to meet a disclosure deadline, schedule a brown bag lunch with one of them from time to time to understand the big picture. It?s time well spent.

5. ?Get on the Distribution Lists!

Many Finance, IR, Strategy or Competitive Intelligence functions in companies have distribution lists for financial updates, analyst reports, competitor news and legislative and regulatory issues.

Get on the list (often it?s same list for everyone).

If the data is good enough for your business leaders, it?s good enough for you. If you can?t get on list, ask your business leader or your CHRO to make the request for you.

6. ?Wire Yourself!

For up-to-the-minute insights on your business, subscribe to RSS feeds, Google alerts on what?s being written online and in social media about your company, its competitors and your industry.

This puts you in the know as fast as any executive in your company.

Knowledge is power.

Don?t rely only on what others can gather for you.

7. ?Tune in to Earnings Calls!

If you?re in a publicly traded company, listen to the quarterly earnings call with the analysts. ?Especially the Q&A segment at the end of the call.

Or at least read the transcripts. It?s a good way to get a concise summary of the strategy story that your company is telling and even better insights on what investors ? and your business leaders ? are excited and worried about.

To conclude?

It?s a fallacy to think that staying in your office or focusing on doing HR work alone will enhance your impact in your organization.

The fastest way to absolutely knock the socks off your clients and impress them with your HR knowledge is?

To impress them with your knowledge of ?THEIR business first!

Failing to do this will forever relegate you to the back of the bus.

And your business desperately needs you as an HR professional upfront helping to steer the bus.

It?s the only way THEY can win.

?And YOU can win.

Onward!

CLICK HERE?to add your comments on this article.?

About the Author:?Alan Collins was Vice President ? Human Resources at PepsiCo where he led HR initiatives for their Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana businesses. ? He is Founder of Success in HR, Inc. and the author of the two HR best sellers,?UNWRITTEN HR RULES?and?BEST KEPT HR SECRETS. ??His NEW book,?YOUR HR GOLDMINE?is now is available on Amazon.

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