Eileen Seah

Consider these 3 alignments for a Generalist-to-specialist transition: STEP 1- W SELF e.g. natural vs observed vs desired strengths &/interests etc. STEP 2 - W THE ROLE Shortlist 2 from the 12 HR pillars to specialise based on current role vs natural vs highest potential etc. Create offline & online assets to demonstrate your value add & readiness. STEP 3 - W THE INDUSTRY Choose between a Reactive vs a Proactive approach to uncover opportunities that are best matched (contribution) vs demand-driven vs best supported etc. Professionals at the DISCOVERY stage can focus steps 1 & 2 whilst those with CLARITY can act on Step 3. Active ones with slow or no progress should dive deep in Steps 2 & 3 to create adjacent & PROACTIVE pathways.

3 steps to consider. STEP 1: Know your BATNA - Before Negotiation. Abbreviation for Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement i.e plan B. Begin with the worst case scenario (e.g. plan F) & iterate from there, up until you reach plan B. Highlight the trade-offs in each one. STEP 2:Uncover both parties' ZOPA - Start of Negotiation. The earlier this Zone Of Possible Agreement of both parties are ascertained, the higher & quicker the chances are to a plausible outcome. STEP 3:Balance the T-TABLE - End of Negotiation. Imagine 3 parts (top, left & right) to a T-shaped Tradeoff Table. Left are your gains. Right are their gains. Top shows mutually agreed actions that are filled in LAST i.e. when left-&-right are deemed as 'balanced'. Try it!

Consider these quick wins: 1) AS AN EMPLOYEE Tabulate each ‘reason for leaving’ under push-vs-pull (force-field theory by Lewin, 1939). Push factors are internally-driven e.g. discrimination of sorts at work, job dissatisfaction etc. Pull factors are externally-driven e.g. unsolicited job offer from recruiters etc. Focus on Pull before Push as the latter is subjective. 2) AS HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Treat the ‘high turnover’ as an incident & assess its severity (ESI, Gilboy et al 2011) impact to the biz. Take preventive measures for levels 5 or 4 but from 3 upwards, remedial actions are key. 3) AS HR If hard & soft data are available, descriptive analytics helps. If only hard data is available, launch field observation to collect soft data.

As a project consultant, consider the use case of each tracking method: 1) KANBAN BOARDS Simple, suitable for all audience types & easy to read. Think of the 'solitaire' card game with 4 piles (spades etc.) but replace each card with 1 action & mark each pile as 'not started', 'in progress' or 'completed'. 2) ISHIKAWA FISHBONE (1968)/HUB-&-SPOKE/MINDMAP A visual, big picture, concept diagram, commonly used at the project definition phase, ideation or problem solving (5Whys). Good for sprint meetings. 3) WATERFALL JOURNEY MAPS (GANTT CHARTS) Suitable for long term complex projects with enumerated actions that have inter-dependencies across functions. To engage detailed-oriented stakeholders, a vertical time-ruler works. Learn all 3!

To move into HR Consulting, beef up on 2 pillars: #1 - HUMAN RESOURCE Know the 12 functions of the HR job family & apply Kolbs (1984) Experiential Method to build your KSE (knowledge-skills-experience). - Existing HR professionals can either specialise based on your interest & strengths, or go wide to cover the entire HR value chain. - Non HR professionals can aim for HR certification plus hone in on relevant transferable skills. #2 - CONSULTING End goal is to provide Trusted Advisory. - TRUST is earned from the credibility & reliability of evidence compiled from a 1st-person perspective or borrowed lens. - ADVISORY is given using structured frameworks so that informed decisions can be made, based on macro or micro factors. Try all!

To discover your work values, professionals can take their pick from the 6 Value Systems (Spranger, 1928) below. a) WISDOM eg. creativity, curiosity, judgement, learning, perspective b) COURAGE eg. bravery, perserverance, honesty, zest c) HUMANITY eg. love, kindness, social intelligence d) JUSTICE e.g. teamwork, fairness, leadership e) TEMPERANCE eg. forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation f) TRANSCENDENCE eg. gratitude, hope, humor, spirtuality To rank each value, use a sliding scale from 5='Most Impt' to 1='Least Impt'. Once done, zoom in on the 5 highest ranking values. These top 5 or more, can connect you to your work at a deeper personal level and provide meaning, purpose & gratification in return. Enjoy the discovery!