HR IQ Integrated and Synergized

I didn’t plan to write this post until I stumbled on an article of sorts from an online place called Human Resources IQ. I did subscribe (it’s a freebie), but don’t recommend it, and for sure now I quit. Sadly, I don’t belong.  My Human Resources IQ is apparently very low.   In this post I critique the HR IQ article that cinched  my decision to throw in the towel.  It features a lot of high-tout words that mean nothing and it is littered with senseless diagrams to prove it.   My HR IQ is not sufficient to grasp the empty rhetoric. The author is a guy named Jose Luis Chavez Vasquez. Jose is the Director for Strategic Planning and Human Resources at a company called ITR (ITP Group/SENER and Rolls Royce)—Mexico Division.  Even that’s a rambler.  I don’t know the man from Adam, but he sure sounds like an accomplished guy from his profile. And I respect that with all sincerity. Looks like he’s won a few awards (Congrats!) and his passion seems sincere indeed. His resume credits include Six Sigma Black Belt, a TOC and Lean Expert, a Balanced Scorecard Leader and a DDI Certified Facilitator and Master Trainer.  I am familiar with the good of these disciplines in practical application, but I boast no such credentials. I am not that HR-smart.  My lack of pedigree is evident because I have no idea what this good man is talking about.

A Double Integrated Read

I should have known from the headliner that this read was beyond my fragile cranium:

Maximizing HR Effectiveness and Value Added Through an Integrated Balanced Scorecard, Six Sigma, Lean and TOC Integration

When an HR guru attempts to “integrate” anything, sensibility wanes.  In this case, our Expert Jose has four buzz disciplines strung together between the word “Integrated” on one end and “Integration” on the other, while pontificating “Value Added” meantime–the most overused coin on planet  earth.  And that’s just in the title!   I know, you haven’t read it yet.  Okay, go there now, take a look-see and come back.  May the Force be with you.  Here’s the link: Astro IQ Article. I’ll wait here.

Happy to have you back. You exhausted?  Me too, but not merely from reading, you know, the words.  The length wasn’t that bad.  Merciful there.  Nevertheless, if you are HR-dull like me, you didn’t really finish the article the first time, if at all, if ever.  We tend not to continue study when we can’t comprehend anything past the second sentence.  Gifted smarty-pants types  know this limitation and try to help we lesser-minded with pictures.  So they add intricate diagrams to illustrate the wisdom.  Unfortunately, this usually triggers attention deficit rather than visual enlightenment.  That’s what happened to me.  Let’s  take a closer look. You may want to print the article now because I reference it in ever-more indecipherable parts as we go.  Ready?  Here goes…

Pillars of Strategy

The HR strategy at ITR is apparently propped up on five “Pillars” as illustrated by the first block and arrow diagram, which looks kind of Gothic, like an ancient Roman Pizza Hut.  See, I told you to print it out.  In the center of it all is  a four-pronged “People Execution” block-arrow pointing up, down and all around.  “Execution” is a popular way to say “implementation” with business-bite conviction.  I personally never embraced this flavor and much prefer to implement than execute.  A small matter to be sure, but why confuse?  Do you want to implement something or do you want to put people to death?  The latter came to mind in the subject diagram.   A firing squad popped into my head, especially with those missile-like bullet arrows assailing the Pizza Hut from both sides.  What does any of this have to do with the topic?  Nothing.  But then again, Jose’s  illustration doesn’t seem to have anything to do with his article either.

Then Mr. Chavez talks about this Balance Score Card thing:

We use the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a fundamental tool to keep ITR focused; it consists of a methodology that turns the strategy of the organization into operative terms, this enables the process to emerge. Monthly meetings are conducted in a fashion in which results are evaluated within the different areas that integrate the company.

Dear reader, you don’t have any idea what those meetings are about, do you?  That’s okay.  I was puppy dog confused too.   But don’t fret, ITR has clarity to offer through Experience Co-Creation.  We all know what that is, right?:

We also use the Experience Co-creation Methodology to ensure that we have understood and prioritized our customers’ requirements, with accuracy.

As far as business-buzz goes, Experience Co-Creation is a big thing these days in the marketing realm.   Business value  is increasingly co-created by the company and the customer, rather than being created entirely inside the firm. It also refers to a consumer trend away from customers buying products and services as transactions, to those purchases being made as part of an experience.  Interesting, huh?  But I have no idea why the the author brings it up in context of HR strategy. He never explains.  But man that sounds important and I guess that’s all that matters.

Value Stream (Flow)

Jose’s second of five Pillars is Value Stream (Flow), which, he says, is used to link HR objectives and business initiatives.  Value stream mapping is a Lean technique used to analyze the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a consumer.  It sets the stage for identifying constraints and improving throughput– hard dollar value can be created this way.  I’ve done it and it works.  But how ITR applies it is lost on me entirely:

In order to achieve the HR objectives and to link and synergize our initiatives, we have designed a value stream (flow)…Based on Lean principles this flow is pulled by our customer’s needs.  We use the Value Stream Mapping Tool in order to maximizing the capabilities of our HR Value Stream.

Need he say more?! Yes. Besides the fact that “in order to maximizing” is grammatically incorrect to common folk, it is most unclear to average men if this muddled stream of words even says anything.   Perhaps that’s why Chavez expands next to “evaluating HR process maturity” by introducing The People Capability Maturity Model. This witty people-grow concept is famous believe it or not and Chavez wisely avoids all blame by crediting it’s true originators, Curtis, Hefley and Miller.  No, that’s not a law firm.  Go to Wiki if you want to know more.  I don’t.  Jose nails it anyway with succinct brilliance:

To evaluate each HR process maturity level correctly, it’s fundamental to evolve this process and achieve organizational capability.  [Later he adds] In order to have a positive evolution in our capabilities, ITR´s HR processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their maturity, efficiency, effectiveness, flexibility and predictability.

That paragraph has no meaning whatsoever. Although there  is a wealth of power-packed “ity” words at end of the last sentence.  Come to think of it, our esteemed author has  acute diarrhea of  superlative pen throughout.  Remember earlier?  Gosh, he  called for every ITR employee to be a gazillion things in a row– engaged, customer oriented, capable, resourceful, a team player, flexible, predictable, adaptable and a whole bunch of other  rat-tat-tat yap.  Those poor workers must be exhausted.  He does it at the finish line too–something about satisfying customer needs in a flexible, efficient, predictable and profitable way. Whew!  HR IQ on overdrive no doubt. Beware of rapid-fire pitchmen, my Dad would say.  Wise, good, meaningful, actionable, valuable, commendable advice from the Old Man.

Where was I? I am suddenly lost in a value stream of adverbs and adjectives.  I need a road map, that’s what I need.

Roadmap to Clear Purpose

I get oddly sublime when that happens.  My mind drifts every time I get clobbered by fast moving action words. It’s a common side effect for those of us who suffer from low HR IQ.  The good Doctor Chavez tries to help us so afflicted with a “Roadmap.”  He explains it this way:

ITR defines an HR Roadmap in order to have a path that clearly communicates what steps we have to follow in order to implement an Added Valued HR strategy.

Oh good.  But in order to follow your map in order I need words in order that make sense to a third grader.  The HR Roadmap diagram doesn’t help much either.  It begins from left to right, then turns down and around 180 degrees finishing a seven phase trek back at square one. The final graphic is even more incomprehensible with the HR Roadmap now zooming skyward through value adding years of award winning progress and no less than 10 different graphics, charts, metrics  and logos splattered about.  Completing the  chaos are bullet point stacks of HR buzz words, and…I’m lost again.

That’s okay, our friend Jose is about to wrap it up.  In conclusion, our good man kindly explains all wisdom  in a succinct, but profound statement:

There is a very large toolbox with different methodologies that we can use, the only challenge is to synergize these methodologies, and give them a clear purpose.

So that’s it!  Bing my light bulb bright.  We have to synergize. He used that word before didn’t he? Synergize. I remember, because my spellchecker didn’t recognize it.  Ut-oh, it’s  not a real word, is it?  Don’t tell me. My thoughts have been integrated with synergized falsehoods and my HR strategy is no longer true and certain as a result. So much for Human Resources IQ.  I knew it. I’m exhausted.

I need a break from it.  So do you. We all do.