www.mubeena.net
HR’s New Role
Becoming a Strategic Business Partner
For the fastest changing city in the history of
mankind - Dubai
Dubai HR Forum (November 2005)
Steel Authority of India (December 2005)
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
About this Presentation

Presentation adapted with permission from Dr. William
Passmore, Mercer Delta Consulting

These slides are the foundational structure of a book in
process to be published by Wiley/Jossey Bass. Roland
Sullivan is the OD Consulting editor.

To be further developed with Dr. Udai Parekh, who
brought OD, HRD, and the application of the applied
behavioral sciences to personal and organizational
change in India.
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Core Beliefs
“More change will occur during the
remainder of our lives than since
the beginning of civilization. Lead
the change before the change
leads you.”
- Roland Sullivan (1977)
Integrating economic and human realities in the
transformation of corporations by utilizing
philosophy and behavioral science
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Overview

Definition of OD for the Middle East

Introductory Activities

HR Transformation and the Evolution of the HR
Business Partner Concept

What It Takes to Be An Effective HR Business Partner

Using Diagnosis to Transform Relationships and
Opportunities

Staying Focused on Issues that Matter to the Business

Delivering Changes That Make a Real Difference

Next Steps

Your Questions
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
A Definition of Organization Development for the
Middle East
“Organization Development is a
transformative leap to the desired vision
where strategies and systems align in the
light of local culture with an innovative and
authentic leadership style with the support
of high-tech tools.”
(1st OD Conference of the Middle East in Dubai, May 2005)
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Group Activity
Purpose: To get a sense of your impact as Human Resource
professionals on core business results
Activity:
1.
Divide into groups of 2s or 3s
2.
Discuss then write two points on the following question:
“As an HR Manager/Executive, what do you do to enhance your
company’s capacity for higher performance?”
3.
Hand the post-its over to Mubeena who will summarize the common
answers
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
HR Transformation and the Evolution
of the HR Business Partner Concept
www.mubeena.net
The Promise of HR Transformation

Substantial cost savings through the
automation and outsourcing of routine
transactional work and the creation of shared
services

More complete, accurate, and useful
information management through the
creation of comprehensive, all-encompassing
databases and HRIS systems

Enhanced accessibility and self-service
through 24/7 online and call center support
for routine operations

Uniform policy application across locations
due to centralization of decision-making in
shared systems

Enhanced capabilities through centers of
excellence for non-routine work

Freed from the routine work, a new role for
HR generalists as strategic business partners
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
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From Personnel to Business Partner
Approximate
Dates
1920s-1930s
1940s-1970s
1970s-1990s
2000
Key Business
Issues
HR Role

Organic Growth

New Technologies

Diversification

Productivity

Competition

Negotiations

International
Competition

Downsizing

Leadership

Change Programs

Performance
Management/Rewards

Hiring, Training, and
Caring for Employees

Survival

Shift to Service

Globalization

Talent Development

Innovation

Strategic Capabilities

Reinvention
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Title for Role

Personnel

Employee
Relations/Labor
Relations

Human
Resources

HR Business
Partner/CCO
www.mubeena.net
Evolution of Organization Development
Approximate
Dates
Key Business
Issues
OD Role

Coordination

Surveys

Productivity

STS/Work Design

Motivation

Team-Building
1970s

International
Competition

1980s-1990s

Cost-Cutting


1940s-1960s
2000
Title for Role

OD
Quality

Quality

Work-Out

Survival

Reengineering
Change
Management
Efficiency

Enterprise IT Systems

Reengineering

Balanced Scorecard

Create New
Capabilities

Organization
Architecture

Globalization

Innovation

Reinvention
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan

OC/OE
www.mubeena.net
Ulrich’s Human Resource Champions (1997)

Four Roles for HR
– Administrative Expert
– Employee Champion
– Change Agent
– Strategic Partner
“When HR professionals work as strategic partners, they work
with line managers to institute and manage a process that
creates an organization to meet business requirements.”
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Examples of Critical Capabilities
From Ulrich’s Human Resource Champions

Align performance measures to strategic
priorities

Have dominant distribution channels

Have committed employees

Identify and develop the next generation
of leaders

Attract and retain high-caliber people

Be the technology leader in the field

Create a shared mindset


Ensure trust between leaders and
workers
Improve speed, cash flow, profitability,
and productivity every year

Innovate and learn more quickly than
competitors

Maintain good investor relations

Manage financial management systems

Take risks

Work in a boundary-less way

Create capacity for change

Demonstrate cultural flexibility

Form alliances with a variety of
organizations

Have a culturally diverse workforce

Think and act globally
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
What It Takes to Be an Effective HR
Business Partner
www.mubeena.net
Becoming a Strategic Business Partner

Knowledge requirements

Using assessment to
transform relationships and
opportunities

Staying focused on issues
that matter to the business

Delivering capabilities that
make a real difference
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Business Partner Knowledge Requirements
Examples
Strategic











Talent planning
Talent development
Performance management
Executive succession
Executive compensation
HRIS
Shared services
Outsourcing/offshoring
International law
Acquisition assessment
Managing diversity











Whole-Systems Transformation
Executive Team transformation
Strategic alignment
Organization architecture
Globalization
Enterprise integration
Organizational learning
Cultural integration
Change leadership
Capability creation
Board relations
HR
Business











Compensation/benefits
Recruiting
Hiring/firing
Data reporting
Performance assessment
Succession planning
Relocation
Orientation and training
Labor law
Merger integration
Policy/fair treatment











Quality
Productivity/lean manufacturing
Cost-reduction
Process reengineering
Supply chain management
Work redesign
Customer success
Product development
Change management
Metrics/balanced scorecard
Team effectiveness
Operational
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Using Assessment to Transform
Relationships and Opportunities
www.mubeena.net
Assessment

Provides a powerful way of
working with business
leaders

Involves a process and a
set of principles

Repeats whenever new
opportunities emerge

Helps transform
relationships
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
The Assessment Process
Domain
Examples
Organizational Domains

Entry and
PreLaunch
Scan
Plan
Act
Re-Act



Relationship Building
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Organization
Architecture
Culture Change
Executive Team
Performance
Leadership
Development
www.mubeena.net
Data Collection and Analysis

Dialogues - centerpiece of datacollection strategy

Input from business leaders on
organizational issues and concerns

Confidential, one-on-one
discussions

Structured process for interviewing,
recording, analyzing, and
reporting interviews with business
leaders

Results must feature powerful
findings captured in the
organization’s own words

Other Methods
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
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Collaborative Organizational Assessment
Business Leader
HR Business Partner
Action
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
What do we do?
Knowledge
What does it mean?
Information
What does it say?
Data
What do we see?
www.mubeena.net
Six Dimensions of Relationships That
Enable Change
Building
Trust
Advocacy
Personal
Investment
Collaboration
Courage
Interpersonal
Agility
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Source: Carucci and Pasmore. Relationships that
Enable Enterprise Change, Jossey Bass (edited by Sullivan et al)
Staying Focused on Issues That Matter
to the Business
www.mubeena.net
Staying Focused on Business Issues

What are the issues that
matter?
– What’s keeping business leaders
up at night?
– What’s the “moose on the table”
regarding the future?
– What drives the bottom line?

Changing how you spend
your time and attention

Not getting pulled or pushed
back into the old HR box
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Delivering Changes That Make
a Real Difference
www.mubeena.net
Congruence Model
Informal
Organization
Input
Environment
Resources
Output
System
Strategy
Formal
Organization
Work
Individual
History
People
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Unit
www.mubeena.net
Two Key Challenges
1. Creating a new strategy
that seizes market
opportunities and makes
full use of the
organization’s competitive
advantages
2. Designing an organization
that supports the full and
effective execution of the
new strategy
Informal
Organization
Input
Environment
Resources
System
Strategy
Formal
Organization
Work
History
Unit
Individual
People
Informal
Organization
Input
Environment
Resources
Output
System
Strategy
Formal
Organization
Work
History
Unit
Individual
People
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Output
www.mubeena.net
Business Partner Career Paths
HR
Executive
Strategic











Talent planning
Talent development
Performance management
Executive succession
Executive compensation
HRIS
Shared services
Outsourcing/offshoring
International law
Acquisition assessment
Managing diversity











Whole-Systems Transformation
Executive Team transformation
Strategic alignment
Organization architecture
Globalization
Enterprise integration
Organizational learning
Cultural integration
Change leadership
Capability creation
Board relations
HR









HR
Generalist
Strategic
Business
Partner
Business

HR
Specialist
OC/OE
Executive

Compensation/benefits
Recruiting
Hiring/firing
Data reporting
Performance assessment
Succession planning
Relocation
Orientation and training
Labor law
Merger integration
Policy/fair treatment











Quality
Productivity/lean manufacturing
Cost reduction
Process reengineering
Supply chain management
Work redesign
Customer management
Product development
Change management
Metrics/balanced scorecard
Team effectiveness
Operational
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
Business
Partner
OC/OE
Professional
Next Steps
Next Steps: What You Can Do

Personalize, individualize, grow
with the process

Begin with conversations and
assessment

Build stronger relationships

Stay focused

Measure impact of changes on
business results

Commit to learning
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
www.mubeena.net
We Could All Stand to Learn More About…

Developing extremely effective leaders

Creating more flexible but still high-performing
organizations

Working globally, virtually, horizontally, and
spontaneously

Inventing and implementing new business models
in old companies

Changing cultures: making customers, values, and
integrity real

Organic growth

Leveraging diversity for business results

Strategic design

China and India
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
Creating Knowledge
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan
www.mubeena.net
About Us
Roland Sullivan
r@mohd-sullivan.com
Mubeena Mohd
m@mohd-sullivan.com
Mercer Delta Consulting / Mohd & Sullivan