How Can HR Transform into a Strategic Partner in the 21st Century's Learning Organizations?

With the job scenario now moving towards knowledge for the competitive edge, HR will now be required to develop positive values, ethics, and passion for the job. These will be the key elements to cultivate the talents, skills, and creativity of the workforce.

HR as a Strategic Business Partner

HR will now have to relook at its function, the broader HR system, and the resulting employee behaviors, and determine how these 'architectures' can help the organization excel.

New Economic Paradigm of the 21st Century

The 21st century brings with it a new economic paradigm. The focus now is on brand recognition, knowledge, innovation, and most importantly, human capital.

Evolving HR's Role

HR now becomes a Strategic Business Partner. It must develop systems for business performance, and it must evolve from its administrative role to driving the organization to become a learning organization.

Organizational Learning and Shared Vision

In order for organizational learning to occur, individuals in the organization must be willing and prepared to reveal their individual mental models, contrast them to one another, discuss the differences, and come to a unified perception of what that system really is. This alignment of mental models can be referred to as developing a shared vision.

The Essence of a Learning Organization

At the heart of a learning organization is a shift of mind—from seeing ourselves as separate from the world to connected to the world, from seeing problems as caused by someone or something 'out there' to seeing how our actions create the problems we experience. A learning organization is a place where people are continually discovering how they create their reality and how they can change it.

(References: Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline, Brian E. Becker, Mark A. Huselid, David Ulrich, the HR Scorecard - Linking People, Strategy, and Performance)

Dear Colleagues,

For the HR practitioner, all human/personnel-related issues fall on their desk; hence, the learning organization cannot be an exception.

Firstly, the quality of the human capital of an organization may just be one major determinant of how far HR can push their mission in making the workplace a learning organization.

Secondly, there is the issue of management aligning with HR in their approach to make their innovation work.

It should be noted that there are costs related to learning in the workplace—these go beyond cash; it could be time, risk, image, damages, etc.

In light of the above, HR needs management to support this plan physically and morally, especially where financial approvals have to be sought and obtained.

Closely linked to the above is the issue of allowing an expressive environment to exist. Employees must be encouraged to voice their opinions, no matter how "eccentric" they may sound; they should not be shot down or ignored—everyone must be heard.

In addition, there is the issue of harmonizing and managing divergent opinions/concepts/ideas. Something positive can be achieved if well gathered and used properly.

Another factor is the individual employee and their intellectual persuasion. Some have a flair for research, web-search, and general understanding of issues—such should be encouraged, and related assignments given to them.

Similarly, some are highly interested in making presentations, moderating, and facilitating—they should be encouraged, and their presentations stored for the general use of all in the system.

Related to the last point is the issue of brainstorming—this can be organized once in a while, and a moderator/secretary should list out cogent decisions/points arrived at and document them for reference.

From the above, the knowledge manager steps in and creates a database from all these where everyone can source information internally.

Thanks.