With the rise in M&A activity across all sectors, the impact of generative AI and increasing generational differences in the workplace, leadership development takes on a whole new complexity. Tracy Duberman champions HR as the leader in helping the rest of the C-Suite support business growth through its approach to the workforce.
Duberman, president and CEO of The Leadership Development Group based in New York City, shares best practices on how HR leaders can foster talent development and effective collaboration.
How can today’s leaders collaborate with partners to improve outcomes and bottom-line performance—and how can HR help with this?
Leaders can enhance outcomes and bottom-line performance through effective collaboration, especially with the rise in M&A activities. Take for example the enormous number of strategic partnerships that are occurring across all sectors of the healthcare industry.
Recent examples include Walgreens and Pearl Health, GE HealthCare and Mass General Brigham, and Cedar with Google Cloud. These partnerships demonstrate the potential of cross-sector collaboration in improving care-delivery, operational efficiency and patient/consumer engagement.
To foster collaboration, leaders must develop a partnership mindset and strong collaborative leadership skills which can be accomplished through programmatic leadership development headed by HR. For systemic change to occur, diverse stakeholders with unique experiences and points of view must commit to work together on complex problems.
Leaders who exhibit the ability to envision a new future, align diverse stakeholders, manage obstacles and boundaries and continuously act and learn are more prepared to galvanize and navigate effective collaborations.
A Gen Z and Millennial survey revealed that these generations want to be empowered to drive change within their organizations. How can today’s leaders empower their workforce—and how can HR help?
Leaders can adapt to the expectations of Gen Z and Millennials, who seek meaningful input in organizational decisions. This shift requires a move towards a more decentralized structure where decision-making is distributed across various levels and departments. To enhance overall engagement and performance, leaders can create an environment where Gen Z and Millennials feel empowered to drive change.
Leaders can implement mechanisms to actively listen to and act on employee feedback. Regular one-on-one reviews, anonymous surveys and team meetings are effective methods. However, collecting feedback is not enough. Leaders must plan and implement changes based on that feedback, demonstrating a commitment to valuing employee insights.
In addition, leaders can “lead from behind” by fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. Encouraging employees to take charge of their decision-making and innovation can be more effective than micromanaging.
Leaders should model the behavior they wish to see, showing the value of autonomy, creativity and accountability. This approach boosts individual confidence, motivation and a sense of shared responsibility.
The goal of work-life integration is to find areas of compromise and synergy that help employees feel more fulfilled both at work and home. How will leaders create work environments that allow people with fundamentally different beliefs to work collaboratively?
To create work environments where people with fundamentally different beliefs can work collaboratively, leaders can prioritize inclusivity and psychological safety. Here are key strategies to achieve this:
Provide training and education. Offer training on cultural competence, diversity, equity and inclusion to help team members develop skills for navigating differences respectfully. Equip leaders with tools to facilitate difficult conversations and manage conflicts constructively.
Lead by example. Demonstrate inclusive leadership by modeling respect, empathy and open-mindedness. Hold yourself accountable for creating an inclusive environment and challenge biased or discriminatory behavior when encountered.
Promote psychological safety. Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions and challenging assumptions without fear of retribution.
How can HR leaders embrace the capabilities of AI and explore new ways that technology can be integrated into existing processes and tools?
Given the power of AI and generative AI, HR leaders should be focused on harnessing AI to enhance efficiencies and improve the employee experience. For example, generative AI can assist CHROs, HR business partners and managers in creating personalized training programs and career development pathways.
By analyzing vast sums of employee data, AI can identify skill gaps and recommend targeted learning resources which in turn fosters professional growth and engagement. Additionally, AI-driven virtual assistants can be employed to manage routine HR inquiries, freeing HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
This said, change is hard. To promote adoption of AI, HR leaders can craft specific change management protocols when moving work previously held by employees to being supported or completely conducted through AI.
Developing a strategy for AI implementation, involving employees in the transition process, ensuring the workforce is adequately trained and supported in using new AI tools are crucial steps in the change process. Updating talent strategies to include hiring AI-savvy professionals can help organizations adapt to technological advancements.
By integrating AI into existing processes and tools, HR leaders can create more efficient, responsive and innovative HR practices, driving organizational success in our rapidly evolving function.
