SECTION 4

Future Directions

Dan L. Ward

THE FINAL SECTION OF THE BOOK focuses on future directions in SWP, both from an organizational perspective and for the individual practitioner. Jac Fitz-enz is recognized as the person who has done more than anyone else to shine a light on workforce data. His pioneering efforts led to the creation of the Saratoga Institute and a new generation of human capital specialists who embraced the quantitative aspects of what was traditionally considered a “soft” field. I vividly remember some of the older “personnel” executives in the early days of my career who firmly believed that personnel administration was just one of those things that had to be done and should be accepted as part of the cost of doing business: Minimize the cost as best you can, and don’t waste time trying to analyze it too deeply. Jac’s efforts showed not only that these things could be measured, but that comparative data could establish reference points, benchmarks, and milestones for improvement.

In “Disrupting the Future,” Jac notes that times have changed, and he challenges even some of the paradigms he helped establish. He references a comment from a CIO (chief information officer) that information technology has shifted from a focus on control to a focus on risk management. He talks about some new types of metrics, such as Talent Development Reporting Principles (TDRP), which fly in the face of conventional wisdom that the results from training investments cannot be effectively quantified. While Jac has done more than anyone else to bring discipline to the ability to measure the characteristics and investments in the workforce, he reminds us that how, where, and when we work is changing rapidly, and the way we measure and evaluate workforce data will have to evolve and do so quickly.

In “Workforce Planning Across the Great Divide,” John Boudreau and Ian Ziskin remind us that workforce planning exists within the context of a whole resource environment. The organization structure, the reporting relationships, and the physical and mental aspects of social networks are all critical aspects of any organization. Unless the workforce planning mind-set is balanced within a holistic perspective, it will be as shortsighted as some of the purely mechanical workforce forecasts of thirty years ago. Some of the traditional analytical tools, such as detailed analysis by functional job categories, may become less valuable, perhaps even a waste of time, as more roles become cross-disciplinary. The generation that grew up using Google has never had to accept “I don’t know” as a legitimate answer to a question. Google can always find an answer. The challenge currently is deciding which one of the million answers is actually relevant.

Steve Arneson’s “Plan Your Own Development” may at first seem a bit unusual for a book focused on SWP because most of us spend our careers focusing on the growth and development of hundreds or thousands of employees at a time. This piece challenges us to step back for just a minute and look at how we should manage our own careers while working in SWP. What do we really want to accomplish? How can we more effectively work with others? Too often, like the cobbler’s children, SWP practitioners are so busy serving the needs of a community that their own individual needs are left behind. We must include our own growth and development or risk becoming out of touch.

The final chapter, Dave Ulrich’s “The Future Targets or Outcomes of HR Work,” provides insights from the individual widely regarded as our foremost thought leader in business. Dave reminds us that effective SWP must recognize that ability is measured at the individual level, while capability is a function of aggregated ability aligned by effective leadership. We must learn new ways to work and to think about work. Increasingly, we must learn to refocus on capabilities that may only via temporary virtual relationships. We must remove the narrow vision blinders created by the constraints of outdated mind-sets if we are to imagine and design effective approaches for getting resources when and where they are needed.