Human Resources:
The Strategic Business Partner!
Strategic Human Resources
Transforming HR from a personnel
function to a Strategic Business
Partnership
 Introduction: Why SBP
 The new HR
 4 Concepts
 SBP Accountabilities
• 3 Kinds of Work
• The Need Hierarchy
• Business Needs/Performance
requirements
• Who to Partner with
• Build Client Partnerships ACT
• Identify and Partner to
Support Strategic Projects
• Influence Business
Strategies & Direction
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Introduction
A Look Back
Before 1970s
Next 25 years
Personnel Department
Maintain employee records and information
Respond to what is urgent
Name change from Personnel to Human Resources
People issues to manage became more complex
Need to “protect” workers regarding health, safety, pay and
benefits – Employee Advocate
HR Functions broadened – OD, Change Mgt.
Millenium
Changing times – environment becoming more complex,
competitive, challenging
Retaining and optimising talent, managing organisational
change
Technology, outsourcing
Next 25 years
Operate more strategically and operationally
Optimise workplace performance to maximise results of
the organisation
Perceived value and results
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Introduction
Why We Hate HR
“In a knowledge economy,
companies with the best talent
win. And finding, nurturing, and
developing that talent should be
one of the most important tasks in
a corporation. So why does
human resources do such a bad
job -- and how can we fix it?”
Keith H. Hammonds
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Why Strategic Business Partnering?
 SBP are people who work with management to define, align and
implement people initiatives to benefit the business
 There is a strong need for the HR function to adopt a more strategic and business like
approach
 A need to make significant contribution to the bottom line
 Gap between what business leaders and employees need from HR and what HR is
providing
 Partner with middle/senior managers and develop deep knowledge of the business
requirements and the challenges these individuals face
 SBPs develop ACT – gain Access, grow Credibility and develop Trust
 A project focused role where we identify and partner with clients to support strategic
projects that directly address one or more business needs
 Earn the right to sit at the table with clients – formation of business strategies,
integrating and executing people initiatives in support of business plans
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Key Concepts
“I just learned that I
am going to be
working in the role
of a Strategic
Business Partner.
…What do I do
now?”
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Four Concepts – The Strategic HR Approach
1. HR function supports 3 kinds of work
2. The Need Hierarchy – what SBPs discuss with clients
3. Translating Business needs to human performance requirements
4. Determining the client or who to partner with
1. Transforming HR - 3 Kinds of Work
3) Strategic
2) Tactical
1) Transactional
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Transactional Work
 Administrative in nature
 Order taking manner
 Quick turn around
 Addresses needs of individuals
 Requires providing information or guidance to
the individual
–
–
–
Requests to counsel a supervisor
Requests to fill an open position
Identifying a training program to address a developmental need
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Tactical Work

The many solutions HR offers to achieve a goal – our turf

Requires design/delivery of solutions

Training
 Organizational redesign

Recruitment
 Compensation

Succession Planning

Tendency to be silo’d into solution specialists

Programmable, Resource intensive

Benefits work groups

Usually integrated into a strategic initiative
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Strategic Work

Addresses and benefits business entities and
entire organisation

Macro focus and linked to business goals

Long term in scope

Is solution neutral

Requires multiple solutions/tactics –
eg. translating business strategies and goals to human
performance requirements
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Strategic Business Partners



Partner with leaders
…to define & implement
people initiatives
…for strategic success
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Four Concepts – The Strategic HR Approach
1. HR function supports 3 kinds of work
2. The Need Hierarchy – what SBPs discuss with clients
3. Translating Business needs to human performance requirements
4. Determining the client or who to partner with
2. The Need Hierarchy
What SBPs discuss with clients
 Business Needs – operational in focus, quantifiable, requires multiple efforts,
needs/goals for an entity
 Performance Needs – behaviour on the job, activities done to meet business
needs
 Work Environment Needs/Solutions – infrastructure, work processes,
intangibles
 Capability Needs/Solutions – skills and knowledge the employee needs to
perform effectively
 Business and Performance needs are the results to be achieved
 Environmental and Capability needs are the root causes of non performance
 Impacting operational results requires changing people’s performance
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Four Concepts – The Strategic HR Approach
1. HR function supports 3 kinds of work
2. The Need Hierarchy – what SBPs discuss with clients
3. Translating Business needs to human performance requirements
4. Determining the client or who to partner with
3. Business Needs to HPerformance requirements
What questions do I ask?
3 types of questions – SHOULD, IS, CAUSE
 SHOULD questions identify the business and performance
“should’s” or desired state. Business should’s are described
numerically, performance should’s are defined behaviourally
 IS questions identify what currently exists compared to the should’s.
They are current results in quantifiable terms. IS performance
describes current behaviour of specific employee groups
 CAUSE questions focus on root causes for why people are not
performing as required. Factors that may hinder performance once a
new initiative is under way.
Should & Is questions translate business needs to performance needs.
Cause questions go beyond symptoms to identifying solutions
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The G A P S Model
Go for the SHOULD
Identify what is required by the business and
from employees
Analyze the IS
Compare current business results and
employee performance to identify gaps
Pin down the CAUSES
Uncover reasons for the gap – root causes not
symptoms
Select the right SOLUTIONS
Choose solutions to address the root cause, close
business & performance gaps
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Four Concepts – The Strategic HR Approach
1. HR function supports 3 kinds of work
2. The Need Hierarchy – what SBPs discuss with clients
3. Translating Business needs to human performance requirements
4. Determining the client or who to partner with
4. Determining the Client / who to partner with
Clients have authority or power to make things happen.
They own/have accountability for achieving business
results
Sustained Clients
Project Clients
Once clients are identified, we need to develop and maintain partnership/collaboration. We
need to work to gain access, credibility and trust.
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4. Determining the Client / who to partner with
Clients have authority or power to make things happen.
They own/have accountability for achieving business
results
Sustained Clients
Project Clients
Once clients are identified, we need to develop and maintain partnership/collaboration. We
need to work to gain access, credibility and trust.
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Gaps! Map
Business Need: _______________
Go for the
SHOULD
Business SHOULD
Analyze
the IS
Business IS
Pin Down
the
CAUSES
Employee Group: _______________
Performance SHOULD
Performance IS
Factors External
To Organization
Factors Internal
To Organization
Factors Internal
To Individuals
Work Environment Needs
Capability Needs
Outside the
business unit
Within the
business unit
Select the right
SOLUTIONS
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SBP Accountabilities
1. Build Client Partnerships
2. Identify and Partner to Support Strategic Projects
3. Influence Business Strategies & Direction
SBP Accountabilities
Identify & Partner to Support
Strategic Projects
Influence Business
Strategies & Direction
Reframe requests To Identify Strategic
Opportunities
 Contribute to Formulation of Business
Proactively Identify Strategic
Opportunities
Integrate HR Strategic Plan and
Initiatives into BP
Implement Strategic Projects
Implement People Initiatives in Support
of BP
Strategies & Plans
Trust
Access
Credibility
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SBP Accountabilities
1. Build Client Partnerships
2. Identify and Partner to Support Strategic Projects
3. Influence Business Strategies & Direction
Build Client Partnerships - ACT
Gaining Access to Clients
Determine the
strategic
decision and
gain “face
time” –
sustain
relationship
Gaining Credibility & Trust
Credibility and
Trust are gained
the old fashioned
way…you earn
them!
Credibility
The confidence others
have in your ability to
deliver results. Take
actions that impact
employee performance &
business positively.
Accepts responsibility
and accountability.
Trust
The confidence
others have in
your integrity &
reliability to
achieve results
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Developing Trust
 Maintain confidences
 Honor commitments
 Match words to actions
 Act to support organization values
 Be a straight shooter
 Be a sounding board – listen deeply
 Share opinions & perspectives
 Keep focus on the big picture
 Accept accountability
 Avoid blaming others
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SBP Accountabilities
1. Build Client Partnerships
2. Identify and Partner to Support Strategic Projects
3. Influence Business Strategies & Direction
SBP Accountabilities
Identify & Partner to Support
Strategic Projects
Influence Business
Strategies & Direction
Reframe requests To Identify Strategic
Opportunities
 Contribute to Formulation of Business
Proactively Identify Strategic
Opportunities
Integrate HR Strategic Plan and
Initiatives into BP
Implement Strategic Projects
Implement People Initiatives in Support
of BP
Strategies & Plans
Trust
Access
Credibility
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The Logic Used To Identify Strategic
Opportunities
“We influence more
by what we ask
than what we tell”
Asking the
“Right” question
“Right”
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Preparing for a Reframing Meeting
3) Prepare opening question
2) Prepare questions
1) Develop a GAPS! map
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Gaps! Map
Business Need: _______________
Go for the
SHOULD
Business SHOULD
Analyze
the IS
Business IS
Pin Down
the
CAUSES
Employee Group: _______________
Performance SHOULD
Performance IS
Factors External
To Organization
Factors Internal
To Organization
Factors Internal
To Individuals
Work Environment Needs
Capability Needs
Outside the
business unit
Within the
business unit
Select the right
SOLUTIONS
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Preparing for a proactive conversation –
OPENING
 Purpose of meeting
 Benefits to client
 Benefits to you
 Agenda
 Confirm time
 Confirm business goals (measures,
challenges, employee gaps critical to
achieving goal)
 Ask the right questions
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Proactive Conversations
Focus On Outcomes
Not Activities
Activities
solutions
Outcomes
results
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Proactive Conversations
Suppose that
happens,
how would you
know you have
succeeded?
I would
know
when….
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Workflow Process for Strategic Projects
Proactively Identify Strategic
Opportunities
Respond & reframe
requests
Phases
Partnership
Tactical
Moves to implementation phase
Strategic or tactical Solution?
The Should, Is, Cause
Assessment
Report & Agree Solutions
Plan Solution
Implementation
Implement Solution
Measure & Report Results
Measurement
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Core Behaviours
During the meeting…
 Have a proactive conversation
 Restate & summarize – Connect the dots
 Deep drill key issues
 Identify real need and desired results
 Cash in on what is unknown
 Push back when the client’s
solution is inappropriate
 A request for a solution becomes a
situation to be explored
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SBP Accountabilities
1. Build Client Partnerships
2. Identify and Partner to Support Strategic Projects
3. Influence Business Strategies & Direction
SBP Accountabilities
Identify & Partner to Support
Strategic Projects
Influence Business
Strategies & Direction
Reframe requests To Identify Strategic
Opportunities
 Contribute to Formulation of Business
Proactively Identify Strategic
Opportunities
Integrate HR Strategic Plan and
Initiatives into BP
Implement Strategic Projects
Implement People Initiatives in Support
of BP
Strategies & Plans
Trust
Access
Credibility
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Business Knowledge
Successful
SBP’s think like
a business
person
Balance
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What SBP’s Need to Know
Organization
Industry
 The Business Model
 The Market Place
 Operational Metrics
 Key Players
 Balance Sheet
 Strategic Plan
 Core Processes
 Values & Culture
 Differentiators
 Industry Forces
 Compliance
 Customer Profile
 Market Segments
 Competitors
 Global Factors
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HR Knowledge
Foundational Competence
 Talent Selection & Recruitment
 Development & Retention
 Career Management
 Succession Planning
 Compensation & Benefits
Working Knowledge
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HR Knowledge
Second Level Competence
 Change Management
 Consulting Model & Skills
 eHR Systems
 Human Performance
Technology (HPT)
 Organizational Development
Understand Principles
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Apply Business & HR Knowledge
 Deliver on commitments
 State the financial business case
 Connect all dots
 Transcend the HR perspective
 Share accountability for results
 Be objective in discussions
 Challenge inappropriate actions
 “Underpromise” & “Overdeliver”
 Deliver on time & under budget
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Summary
Making the SBP Role Real
 HR needs to be more strategic and integrated in the business
 Build partnerships based upon credibility and trust
 This provides opportunities to identify and support projects directly aligned
with business goals
 Enables HR to form long range business strategies and plans
 Enables HR create and implement people initiatives that link into and
support the business strategies and plans
 HR as SBPs requires the use of a mental model as a guide
 There are 4 concepts integral to this mental model and critical to our
success as SBPs
 SBPs demonstrate competence through their questioning of clients,
knowledge of the business and ability to translate business needs into
performance requirements and people initiatives
 Being a SBP will mean changes for the entire HR function
“Despite the growing pains, the future of HR is phenomenal”
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Partners in Change, Inc.,
founded in 1981, is a
research-based consulting
firm led by Dana Robinson
and Jim Robinson.
Dana Robinson
Jim Robinson
The Robinsons are
renowned leaders in
aligning people strategies
with business goals.
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