There are plenty of buzzwords in HR. But the word that irritates Carol Brummer is “strategic.”
Now, she used a more descriptive verb in her DisruptHR talk in Los Angeles last summer, but you get the idea.
So what’s wrong with “strategic?” It’s not tactical. “What I think is important is not mind games strategy, but execution,” said Brummer, a human resources business consultant. Accomplishing goals, getting things done, “That’s how businesses get measured. Why isn’t it (how) we get measured?”
“I don’t want to be strategic.”
OK then, what does Brummer want? “I simply want to be effective.”
Article Continues Below
Effective in delivering the goods at such a high level that it positively affects the organization’s strategy. Spend the next 5 minutes to better understand why Brummer would rather HR be effective than strategic.
Note: In partnership with DisruptHR, TLNT presents some of the best Disrupt presentations from events across North America and now the world. Disrupt talks are modeled on the TEDx concept: Short, to the point talks on all things HR — talent, culture and technology.
I agree people often don’t know what strategic means – surely that’s implies a requirement to find out, rather than to ignore the opportunity?
I can’tttt. “I don’t want to be strategic, I simply want to be effective.” Really? That’s your big presentation? Really?
Darling, being effective, executing goals starts first and foremost with identifying areas that need change, creating a realistic goal timeline, measuring your results and maintaining initivites. Know what that’s called? Building a strategy before do anything. Which takes strategic minds who can map together what a company needs and how to successfully execute it across the workplace.
I can’t.