One of the best things about business travel is that I pursue a couple of endeavors not normally suited to day-to-day office work. One is to take a step back and think about the big projects I’m involved in (not easy when you’re sending emails, and jumping on calls).
The other is to catch up on reading. In particular, I used to read Business 2.0 (before it went out of circulation) and now buy a copy of Fast Company whenever I have the chance. While friends know me as an stubbornly late adopter of new products, I do enjoy reading about the future path for technology, science, and business.
On my way home from a member onsite last night, I read November’s Fast Company, featuring a really interesting article on Noreena Hertz (a Cambridge economist who writes about sustainability, capitalism, and social responsibilty).
I also took note of a short feature entitled Wordplay, which challenged readers to write an effective mission statement for their firm – one that isnt generic or glib or unattainable (such as the Dilbert-generated “It is our job to…quickly create principle-centered sources to meet our customer’s needs”).
As part of my workshop on Launching a Workforce Analytics Program (being offered at the 2010 Infohrm North America Conference), I ask participants to craft a short mission statement that offers a clear set of expections to team members, helps to prioritize next steps in line with a definitive goal, and sustains the program long after initial implementation.
Too many times, organizations’ launch programs with little-to-no understanding of why resources are being allocated and what the end goal might be – other than “we need metrics”. That’s not to say that the first mission statement should be set in stone, but it should provide clear direction on objectives, responsibilities, and intended outcomes. Even one as short and sweet as “We expect that our HR Business Partners will use human capital data in monthly performance reviews with business leaders” sets out an attainable goal, confers accountability on the HRBPs, and outlines clearly when data is supposed to be used.
Give some thought to what your own mission statement for workforce metrics and analytics should be…and the extent to which you’ve shared, and reinforced, it with your colleagues.
Tags: Fast Company, rollout planning, Workforce Analytics, workforce metrics