June 2021
The theme for this month’s HR News is leadership. What an incredibly important topic to explore.
In this issue, you will find articles on leading with empathy and the art of delegating. Other articles focus on dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on employees, including the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all plan for returning workers to the office. The authors provide guidance and ideas for public sector human resources leaders, and I hope you find each of their contributions useful. Keep an eye out, too, for IPMA-HR-hosted webinars and other resources on leadership.
One way IPMA-HR is working to ensure HR practitioners get a seat at the table is operationalizing our HR20/20 Report: The IPMA-HR Guide to Transformative HR. Based on years of research and collaboration among public sector HR executives at the local, state and federal levels, the report lays out a framework for planning, communicating and implementing HR services that meet the strategic and tactical needs of any organization. High-level practical guidance is provided through the lenses of business acumen, innovation, strategic orientation and equity and inclusion, as well as in five areas of focus.
Leadership is one of the focus areas, and it is singled out as a skill to prioritize when working to raise HR’s profile within an organization. Much effort remains.
A survey revealed that while 95 percent of IPMA-HR members agreed HR professionals need to be recognized as organizational leaders, only 63 percent reported they were consulted over operational decisions. Even more concerning, just 40 percent of survey respondents indicated they had the tools and resources they needed to be viewed as strategic partners by colleagues.
The HR20/20 Report offers recommendations to help HR professionals transition from filling a transactional role to acting as transformation agents and strategic partners. Some of the recommendations include
- Operate with urgency and accountability while ensuring institutional accountability mechanisms are put in place to underscore the importance of action.
- Know the organization’s business plan and the context in which the organization operates, which makes it easier to raise relevant issues, offer sound solutions and effectively challenge the status quo.
- Examine the organization’s systems and understand how those systems impact various groups of people within the organization.
- Develop the HR staff so each team member understands the difference between transactional and transformational HR.
The report references Kevin Kruse’s definition of leadership as a “process of social influence defined as maximizing the efforts of others towards the achievement of a common goal.” IPMA-HR has adopted this conception of leadership as we move into the second half of 2021. To be a leader in providing public sector HR professionals with education and resources, the Association is operating with urgency and accountability to
- Expand our reach: We are working with our marketing and communications team to increase the visibility of the Association and its members. We are also speaking up on issues relevant to the public sector HR profession.
- Develop new resources: We developed new magazine columns on public sector HR research, legislation and policies affecting HR practice, and member profiles. We also created online resource hubs. Visit our website to find curated articles, research reports and policies on fostering employees’ financial wellness, achieving gender equity, promoting employees’ mental health and wellness, working toward racial equity and justice, and combating COVID-19 in the workplace. An in-depth member needs assessment is being planned to help us understand which other resources we should provide and how we can best deliver those resources.
- Review existing services: We are currently reviewing and updating existing IPMA-HR professional development courses and certifications, and we’re working to create new courses and certifications. Our assessment department is poised to launch two new products for screening candidates for employment and promotions.
Last, we are making sure each of our projects aligns with priorities defined by the Association’s vision and mission.
Although settling on a single, simple definition of leadership is difficult, tying efforts to take a leadership role to the goals of achieving the organization’s mission and fulfilling its vision is a good first step. So, what is your definition of leadership? Do you have a clear idea of what leadership means, or is it more of an I-know-it-when-I-see-it interpretation? Let us know.
Cara Woodson Welch
ipma@ipma-hr.org
