STRENGTHENING HR LEADERSHIP: CELEBRATING RECENT GRADUATES OF THE HR LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE PROGRAM
24 November 2023: Humanify HR Consulting on 21-22 November 2023 delivered the HR Leadership in Practice (HRLP) program, which proved to be a transformative experience for HR leaders from various sectors.
The HRLP was launched in 2021 by Humanify HR Consulting, designed specifically for HR practitioners to equip them with the capability to lead HR in the complex, challenging and uncertain environments that define the modern world of work.
Founder of Humanify HR Consulting, and Program Director Sarah Queenan designed the HRLP to provide a safe and supportive space for HR practitioners to recognise how their roles have changed and the range of leadership skills they need to be effective HR leaders.
“The participants on the HRLP have a real passion for HR and know they need to continuously invest in building their own leadership capability. The HRLP is so unique, there is nothing quite like it elsewhere that has such a practical focus. Programs like these play a crucial role in strengthening contemporary HR leadership capabilities that underpin the success of our organisations” she said.
The program consists of executive coaching, contemporary and relevant content, case studies, and interactive panels of senior HR leaders who generously shared practical insights on what it takes to be a great HR leader and to have a successful HR career.
HRLP Senior HR Leader Panel Highlights
Senior HR leaders who took part in the panel sessions, provided invaluable advice and reflections that HRLP participants found to be “very inspiring,” “engaging and valuable” and “the vulnerability shown by the speakers helped me to learn and deeply reflect on my own approach.”
The panel of guest speakers brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, sharing their expertise through the interactive sessions. Their advice and guidance provided participants with a solid foundation for developing their own HR leadership in practice.
Self-care was another important aspect that was discussed during the panel sessions and throughout the workshop. Burnout is a risk factor for HR practitioners, who have the responsibility for putting in place initiatives to care for the wellbeing of others – but do not always prioritise their own wellbeing. The panel shared practical tips and strategies for managing stress, maintaining work-life balance, and practicing self-care through maximising healthy daily routines.
Paula Goodwin, Group Executive of Bureau of Meteorology shared invaluable guidance on the opportunities she sees for HR leaders in the APS context, emphasising that effective HR leaders more broadly need to have a good understanding of the external operating environment, strong coaching skills and the ability to create good boundaries. “We have to put our own oxygen masks on before we can help anyone else, and creating really good boundaries is a really important part of that.”
Yvette Gray, Executive Coach shared a wealth of knowledge and explained that great HR leadership is all about having a good understanding of what the organisational agenda and strategy is, and then connecting your practice of HR to that. “For me, good HR leadership is all about understanding the organisation and having an enterprise view, seeing the bigger picture. Thinking about what is happening across the system, not just focusing within your own function, but thinking more broadly about the agenda for the business, the drivers for the business, what the organisation is trying to achieve and then being clear about how you fit within that.”
Michael Nelson, Executive Advisor of Work Rehab encouraged participants as they step into HR leadership to look for opportunities to help build the people management capabilities of managers in their organisations. The HRLP program encourages participants to understand that they cannot go it alone, and a symbiotic relationship exists between HR and people managers, that HR really need to invest in to have maximum impact on their organisations. “There is a really interesting point here, if managers are not confident or capable to manage their people – then we [HR] need to invest in that, and we need to show from a HR perspective how we can support them [people managers] to manage their people more effectively in the current environment that is very uncertain.”
Tanya Hammond, CEO of Tailored HR Solutions, explained the importance of understanding the art of HR leadership and the complexity of all the combined skills required of a modern-day HR leader means that you need to possess elevated levels of self-awareness and self-compassion. “There is a knowledge, an art of what we do in HR, of being able to take that context [of the organisation] and solve some pretty complex problems. That critical thinking and ability to adapt is really important, and that sort of sounds like a bit of a superhuman, so from my personal perspective – its then understanding yourself.”
Trina Sunday, CEO of Reimagine HR encouraged HR leaders to prioritise building their own knowledge of emerging technologies and revisiting current HR practices, for example rethinking the design of the traditional employee engagement survey to drive better organisational outcomes. “Our employees fill out surveys, and we gather the data once a year, and you know we do not really do anything off the back of the data we get.... I feel like we have got that a bit undercooked.”
Dr Fiona Buick, Senior Lecturer of UNSW Canberra explained that it is essential for HR leaders to be able to be strong communicators, who can translate the complexity of HR practice in a convincing and authentic way to drive the performance of their organisations. “Being able to convey to senior leaders in a really crisp ways, that storytelling ability to say these are the environmental demands that we are facing, this is how it is changing, and these are the implications for people, and this is why it matters for you.”
HRLP Participant Feedback
One of the key strengths of the program is the emphasis on practical application. Participants were encouraged to apply the concepts and strategies learned during the program to a ‘real-life’ case study scenario in the role of Chief HR/People Officer. This approach ensured that the program’s insights were immediately applicable and could drive tangible results.
The HRLP also provided opportunities for networking and collaboration. Participants had the chance to connect with like-minded HR practitioners, share best practices and build a supportive network. Program Director, Sarah Queenan explained that the bonds formed during the HRLP can be extremely powerful and many previous alumni of the program are still connected with each other as sources of inspiration and encouragement as they progress into more senior HR leadership positions.
The HRLP received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, who expressed their gratitude for the valuable insights and practical tools gained. The HRLP, for the second year in a row has maintained high program impact scores, with 100% of participants recommending the program to other HR practitioners and leaders at all levels. “It has been like a revival for me,” “extremely thought provoking” and “a real mindset shift to values-based HR leadership” were some examples of the participant feedback provided at the completion of the HRLP.
More information
If you would like to find out more information about our HR Leadership in Practice (HRLP) program, visit our website and express your interest for HRLP in 2024, we can reach out to you when registrations open.
Work with us
We work as a trusted partner to help Australian organisations excel in human resources and workplace relations. Contact us at hello@humanifyhr.com.au to see how we can work together to help you thrive in a new world of work.
Important Disclaimer: The material contained in this article is provided as general information only. It is not, nor is intended to be legal advice. If you wish to take any action based on the content of this article we recommend that you seek professional advice.
