Mindset Can Keep HR From Having a Seat at the Table

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, describes in this recent interview how important HR is to the success of any organization, especially start-ups:

The discipline I believe so strongly in is H.R., and it’s the last discipline that gets funded. Marketing, manufacturing — all these things are important. But more often than not, the head of H.R. does not have a seat at the table. Big mistake.

So often this is due to a perceived lack of “bottom line” focus and understanding of core business issues. My friend and colleague Pam Scott says it this way: Numbers may drive the business, but people drive the numbers!

Our research has shown that our thinking preferences explain why this phenomenon so often occurs. The mindset of HR is often so focused on their ROI – return on interaction – that they neglect to translate that into terms the rest of the business understands.

By adopting a Whole Brain^® approach, HR will be much better positioned and heard. See Whole Brain Thinking: Ignore it at your Peril for ways Human Resources and Talent Management professionals can adopt a more Whole Brain approach.