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Talent Management Excellence
Presented by HR.com | May 2023
Are You Ready for a Seat at the Table?
A Test for HR Professionals
By Howard M. Guttman, Guttman Development Strategies
From time immemorial, HR professionals have wondered why they are often denied a seat at the top-management table. Many CHROs feel that CEOs just don’t “get it,” and this might be true in some cases—but not all. Let’s run a little test.
Pretend your CEO wants to determine whether or not you are a high-performance leader of your HR team and ready to occupy that vaunted seat at the top-management table.
What kinds of questions would your CEO likely ask to test your high-performance leadership capability? And how would you answer them? Close your office door and candidly answer these 10 questions:
1. Have you led an alignment effort?
Have you ensured that everyone on your team is clear and committed to a common strategy and set of operational goals? Have you clarified roles, accountabilities, ground rules for decision-making, and transparent business relationships?
2. Does your team act like a mini board of directors?
Do you require that your team members put aside functional self-interest and “own” team results?
3. Are your team members holding each other accountable?
To what extent have you encouraged your team members to hold one another accountable for business success? Do they hold you accountable—and explicitly say so?
4. Are you attuned to the leader/player dynamic?
How attuned are you to the leader/player dynamic of each of your team members? Do you adjust your behaviors—directing, coaching, collaborating, or delegating—to suit individual team members and the situational needs?
5. Do you cling to the old leadership story?
Are you still holding onto the outdated belief: “As a leader, I get paid to make the decisions?”
6. How does your team view you?
Do team members see you as an answer man, night watchman, referee, enabler—or as a questioner/coach wielding a maestro’s baton?
7. Do you role-model effective leadership behavior?
Do you exhibit effective leadership behaviors when leading your team? How do you manage upward, for example, when interacting with your board of directors?
8. How do you respond to disagreement?
Think about the last time a team member disagreed with you. Did you:(a) say thank you and dispassionately assess the contrarian position?(b) use sarcasm, avoidance behavior, or seek rescuers from your team?(c) become unglued?(d) press the eject button?
9. When was your last reality check?
When was the last time you asked your team for feedback on whether or not you contribute to the team’s ability to achieve high-performance goals and expectations?
10. What do you see behind you?
When you look behind you, do you see a team of leaders—or a group of followers?
If your answers reveal that you are a high-performance leader and team builder—one who is strategically focused, not functionally driven; flexible as a situational leader; a straight-talking relationship builder; and adept at managing conflict—then there’s a good chance your CEO will not only ask you to join the team but insist you do so.
About the Author
Howard M. Guttman is the principal of Guttman Development Strategies, a Mt. Arlington, NJ-based leadership and organizational development firm specializing in building high-performance teams, organizational alignment, executive coaching, and leadership development.
He is the author of When Goliaths Clash, Great Business Teams, and Coach Yourself to Win.