Role of HR head as advisor to CEO in Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness An organization can achieve its goals only if all employees

are fully committed and competent to perform and contribute. With their innovative spirit and effective team work, they can make a difference even in the most difficult period only if every individual accepts accountability for performance, but true accountability is the act of an individual driven by personal integrity and commitment. A nurturing and motivating environment has to be developed and maintained that will inspire employees to perform, contribute, develop and hold themselves accountable for results. Accountability and performance depends on the quality of leadership supported by a conducive culture. Unlike production, marketing and finance departments, HR department is concerned with all people issues cutting across all departments. HR department has the responsibility to initiate steps that will integrate and align the efforts of all employees in all departments towards building up an effective organization. In this regard, what is the role of HR department? 1. The role of HR department is to initiate steps to develop and maintain committed and competent individuals and work teams who will work with an urge to excel in whatever they do. The HR chief should have the knowledge and skills to rise to the level of an advisor to the CEO in all matters relating to various organizational issues and people cutting across all departments. 2. He has to facilitate quality leadership and align HR plans and strategies with business plans and strategies. I repeat here, any people concern is a concern for him and he has to, with tact and diplomacy, find ways to settle it. 3. Just as a doctor diagnoses the patient and gives advice and prescription, the HR head has to follow a diagnostic approach to the organization to identify its health and specific organizational gaps and suggest the best steps to the CEO and ensure that these steps are implemented with support form all concerned. In this context, I identify the following steps: a). The most important step is to conduct an organizational analysis with the support and involvement of functional heads and then submitting a report to MD/CEO with recommendations. This report will address the people concerns and suggest steps to align HR plans with business plans. b). Just as the business plans and strategies are discussed at top management level, the findings of this study also should seriously be taken up for discussion.

c). A review of this exercise has to be done every year. This diagnostic study is an attempt to identify priority areas for timely and corrective action. These areas will cover: i). Mission, values and culture ii). Organization structure iii). Goal setting process iv). Systems and procedures relating to manpower planning & recruitment, communication, performance management, rewards & benefits, learning & development and managing change for organizational renewal 4. A gap in any of these sub systems will be a restraining force on the organization. Therefore identification of specific areas for improvement is a very important step towards organizations renewal, survival, growth and effectiveness. 5. It is necessary to provide, continuous learning opportunities so that all members in the organization will be able to discover their own potential, manage and develop themselves. And in turn they will develop others. This process if supported by a conducive culture, individual development will gradually contribute to organizational development. 6. This organizational development is possible only when proper emphasis is given on the right values, attitudes and habits apart from knowledge and skills. Each individual has to move in a maturity continuum from dependence to independence and then from independence to interdependence. In other words each and every employee irrespective of the level has to effectively relate with others to form an effective organization based on trust & understanding. This is an important aspect of learning & development strategy. 7. Efforts should be made to Identify and address the specific concerns/ issues relating to each department. There will be both learning and non-learning interventions for performance improvement and better results. Managements concern should be to develop and maintain highly effective self managed teams. 8. Next step is to determine the specific learning and development needs of employees in various departments to resolve the specific concerns/issues referred to above and to allocate a budget for learning and development activities. Later, appropriate learning and development programmes have to be designed and conducted. 9. Once the training programmes are over the HR department has to conduct a post training study and then compare the findings/observations with the situation prevailing during the pre-training phase. The purpose is to ensure that transfer of learning really takes place and better results are accomplished at individual, departmental and organizational levels.

10. To repeat, the role of HR department is to take initiative in this regard and make things happen in the right direction. In this exercise HR professional is a facilitator and an internal consultant supporting and helping department heads and the CEO. He has to play the role of business partner and help in aligning HR plans with business plans. He can thus reduce their concern and get better visibility, acceptability and recognition. I repeat here, HR chief has the role of an advisor to CEO. He has to continuously update himself and enhance his competency so as to get acceptance from CEO and other functional heads. The HR chief may not have all the skills for this ambitious role. He can get the help from his colleagues and also help from external consultants on need base. One point needs to be emphasized here: the readiness of the organization for these various initiatives has to be ascertained before venturing to do anything. otherwise the results may not be effective and no doubt will be frustrating for all concerned.