Credibility–it’s hard to establish and it’s easy to lose. Yet, it’s critical for HR success. Today, one expert’s take on how to lose it.
The respected HR Competency Study, conducted by the University of Michigan Business School and its partners, has identified six core competency domains for HR managers:
At the basic “relationships” level:
Credible Activist
At the mid “systems and processes” level:
Operational Executor
Business Ally
At the top “organization capabilities” level
Talent Manager/Organization Designer
Culture and Change Steward
Strategy Architect
HR with an Attitude
While it’s clear that all these functions play important roles for HR managers, the study identifies the “credible activist” as the most important. You need both parts, the study suggests–you must be both credible (respected, admired, listened to) AND an activist (offers a point of view, takes a position, challenges assumptions).
With only credibility, HR managers are admired, but have little impact. And on the flip side, activists without credibility may have great ideas but they will not be listened to.
The study notes that this credible activist combination is often called “HR with an attitude.”
Eight Ways to Lose Your Credibility
In an article appearing on HR.com, Patrick DiDomenico offered eight ways that HR professionals can “blow” their credibility:
1. Align yourself too closely with one person or group. For example, having lunch with the same manager each day, or dropping by to visit with only one department, can generate distrust and a presumption of favoritism.
2. Answer questions without facts. This plays into preconceived notions about HR’s lack of business acumen, says DiDomenico. It’s better to say, “Let me get back to you on that” than to fake it.
3. Make decisions based on others’ emotions. For example, say a manager is angry over an employee’s behavior and demands immediate termination. You have to slow things down, conduct your normal investigation, and make a fair decision based on the facts and the situation.
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4. Remain silent at critical times. HR managers must speak up when they hear of problems, see problems or potential problems, and also in meetings when issues surface or ideas are presented that smack of potential HR issues down the road.
5. Fail to initiate any big-picture HR projects. “Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks that can impress management,” says DiDomenico. Show that you are not just an administrator, but that you have plans and programs that will affect the bottom line.
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6. Show a lack of business knowledge. If financial statements are impenetrable for you, “Take a course,” says DiDomenico. You must be able to discuss balance sheets, budgets, and financial plans intelligently. What are the financial drivers in your industry and in your company? How can HR affect them for the better?
7. Show a lack of legal knowledge. Your boss and your colleagues (not to mention a jury, DiDomenico points out) expect to rely on you for compliance requirements of federal, state, and local law. And not just the requirements, but also the best-reasoned solutions to HR-related problems.
In the next issue of the Advisor, the eighth “how-to-lose-your-credibility” tip from DiDomenico—plus some from our own editors–and an introduction to an extraordinary new online employee training system.