"Ask yourself -- or ask the room -- how many CHROs you know who became CEO. The answer tells you everything about how the function has been positioned."
“The CHRO at the Strategy Table”, a CHRO needs to earn the seat. It is not about a ‘Title’ or ‘Entitlement’, it is all in letter and spirit. It is Real.
CHRO with a business background (former) and CHRO grown through the rank (latter) have little in common, but far more different.
First and foremost, factor is ‘mindset’.
Fundamentally the latter has primarily grown with the mindset of being a backend function and cost center, while the former comes with the background of having delivered business by seeing latter on the other side of table as Cost. Another significant difference is the latter has traditionally been Input-based while former has been Outcome-focused.
CHROs needs to be disruptive in their thinking and transformational in the action.
CEO relationship is never and cannot be served on platter. One needs to earn that seat in CEO’s Club. It is not a rocket science, but it is not everyone’s game as well.
It is NOT about being close to CEO, it is all about a seat in CEO’s Club like any other peer or even better.
It is about speaking and participating in conversations what CEO are thinking or wanting to do – discuss – deliberate with 360-degree perspective with ‘answers and forward-looking propositions. CEOs are just not interested in listening to challenges. The real CEO Clubs no more expect and accept ‘Yes Person’.
Most times, attention span of CEO(s) is very small, one needs to engage with sharp focus and conversations like Arjun seeing Fisheye only. I have seen this more than once - a global CEO walks into a review and asks the presenter to start from the last slide". The CEOs are not interested in listening to the stories of why short on performance. CEOs are interested in listening new logos, breakthrough in competition account, new conversations in ecosystem, disruptive and transformational ideas, new means to faster achievements, and other similar conversations in alignment with the growth-story.
CHRO needs to come up with not mere strategy (English), but where and how they can engage with business and help them achieve their aspirational goals and objectives.
CHROs must be willing to get their hands dirty in business execution with ownership to allow additional bandwidth to Client-facing teams to do more. The actions of CHRO shall focus on ‘Value-minus’ beyond ‘Cost-plus’.
The business understanding from market perspective all that matters to Board. Connecting the dots with ability and capability to align and comprehend the HR strategy with actions can draw the Board attention and respect. Enabling every CXOs and Leaders to be a CHRO is the key to CHRO success.
In modern day’s CHROs are expected to develop and maintain eye-to-eye relationship and engagements with other CXOs and earn the respect. CHROs should not worry about looking nice all the time. CHROs shall create influence and a PULL factor among peers across functions as a true business leader and HR partner beyond a doer.
In summary, the evolved CHROs in new world will surely face challenges and push backs, observe discomforts and surprises as these would be the traits of transition and transformation of HR managers to modern day’s CHRO.
About Author
Sudhir Aggarwal is CHRO & Director – Digital Transformation at Orbit Techsol India, with 40+ years of leadership experience across HCL, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Deloitte, and Thomson Reuters. An educator and author, he teaches AI and emerging technologies and has received multiple leadership accolades.
Find him on LinkedIn: Sudhir Aggarwal
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Why the CHRO Still Has to Earn a Seat That Should Already Be Theirs