The evolving role of the HR function - Dave Ulrich

With the publication of his bestseller 'HR Champions' in 1997, Dave Ulrich signaled the potential for HR functions to develop themselves from administrative functions into mission-critical ones for the business (my words—not Dave's!). Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value. During our conversation, Dave and I discussed the following topics: 00:00 Dave's drive to write 'Human Resource Champions' 03:42 The consequences of the lack of self-confidence exhibited by many HR organizations 09:14 'HR is not your friend'. Really? 14:04 The current data-centricity in HR: the detriment of intuition and human judgment? 17:22 What the HR agenda should look like in 2024 21:44 Where the ultimate accountability and responsibility for staff in organizations rest 24:00 Final thoughts About Dave Ulrich: Dave Ulrich published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 30 books. He edited Human Resource Management1990-1999, served on editorial board of 4 other journals and on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller (16 years), has spoken to large audiences in 90 countries; performed workshops for over half of the Fortune 200; coached successful business leaders, and is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources. He is known for continually learning, turning complex ideas into simple solutions, and creating real value to those he works with as he defines human capability as the next agenda for people and organization. He posts weekly and comments daily on LinkedIn. Organization. With co-authors, he has influenced thinking about modern organizations (Reinventing the Organization) by empirically showing how organization delivers 4 times business results over talent (Victory Through Organization), defined organizations as bundles of capabilities (Organization Capability) and worked to delineate capabilities of talent management (Why of Work; Talent Accelerator), culture change (GE Workout), learning (Learning Organization Capability), and collaboration (Boundaryless Organization). Leadership. With colleagues, he has also articulated the basics of effective leadership (Leadership Code and Results Based Leadership), connected leadership with customers (Leadership Brand), shown how leadership delivers market value (Why the Bottom Line Isn’t), shapes investor expectations with an ability to measure leadership (Leadership Capital Index), and synthesized ways to ensure that leadership aspirations turn into actions (Leadership Sustainability). Human Resources. He and his colleagues have shaped the HR profession and he has been called the “father of modern HR” and “HR thought leader of the decade” by focusing on HR outcomes, governance, competencies, and practices (HR Champions; HR Value Added; HR Transformation; HR Competencies; HR Outside In). He spearheaded a “gift” book on the future of HR (The Rise of HR) distributed to over 1,500,000 HR professionals), in which 70 thought leaders freely shared their insights. He posts articles (over 200) and newsletter on Linkedin weekly. Resources: - RBL Group: http://www.rbl.net - Weekly newsletter LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gbRqJHkW