Vince Lombardi said it best when he said“Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is”. It never ceases to amaze me that most HR people I meet are non-competitive when it comes to helping their business win and in applying HR strategies and policies. They use words like ethics and fairness to tell us why they are so restrained but really it’s a cover-up. In the world of competition, HR are third stringers or no-stringers.

It’s time to bulk up and toughen up and start changing how HR is perceived and viewed on the business team. Here are some tips to get you started on the road to competitiveness.

1. Stop waffling

Make a decision, it’s either yes or a no. Stop being political and speak your mind. Executives and managers will respect you so much more. Of course liking you is another story.

2. Take some risks

Once you have agreed to help the business solve a problem, dont’ just do the usual, do the unusual and surprise everyone. Big risk = big reward.

3. Measure the Right Stuff

Not cost but value.  ie: the value of having an onboarding program, the value of performance based incentives, the time gained by making decisions, having the talent in the key skill pipelines.

4. Stop Over Managing People

Take a look to see if you really need all those ironclad policies that nobody reads.  Why not provide short but concise and fun communication to employees. Hey why not use social media.  Look at ways to increase performance not impede it.

5. Engage your employees

Be the voice of the company. HR has a key role in engaging employees to be the best for the company. Why not develop a playbook to engage everyone in all aspects of the company’s business strategy.

Get tough and start hitting the weights, your new-found competitiveness will be well appreciated by your business partners.

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