Why You Need to Champion Your Organization’s “Must-Do” Moves

I spoke at the inaugural TLNT Transform event last week in Austin. My topic was What Your CEO Wished HR Would Do.

One thing that came up during my presentation was a conversation around “Must-Do Moves.” Must-do moves are those things in your organization that you grab hold of, as an HR Pro, and make sure they happen.

I asked the group a question: Do you have anyone in your organization that you need to get rid of?

“Must-do moves” need champions

Exactly 100 percent answered “Yes!” – all hands raised. If you work in an organization that has a decent size staff (let’s say 100 or more), you almost always have a least one or two folks you would be better without. (For the record, my staff is less than 100 and I don’t have anyone I need to get rid of – they all rock! Don’t hate me; I just follow my own advice!)

As HR Pros, we hear about this in meetings with executives and hiring managers: “Oh, if we could only replace John, we would be so much better!” My point to the HR Pros in the audience at Transform is that this is a value item that we can own in our organizations. “Must-do moves” – especially those that make our organizations stronger — need champions. When it comes to staff moves, we are that champion.

What we realize, but many of our hiring managers fail to realize, is that “Bad is Stronger than Good” when it comes to employees. We hear all the time about “Addition through Subtraction,” and yet we struggle in our organizations to make this happen.

Most likely this happens in your organization because you are trying to make your hiring managers manage and have them make this decision. In reality, they have made the decision – and they told you. They hate conflict even more than you do, and this was their cry for help. Take it, run with it, make it happen. It’s the one thing in HR we are all good at – process and planning. Put a plan together to get rid of your “Bad” and make it happen.

You have to fight hard against “Bad”

I didn’t just say go out and fire someone. That’s not a plan. Well, it is a plan, but not a very good one. I said make a plan to get rid of the “Bad.” That means working with the hiring manager to determine timing, back-fill options, sourcing, recruiting, progressive discipline. and all that good stuff. Bt make it happen.

Really — you need to make it happen. Executives like doers! They like doers that get rid of the “Bad” in our organizations. We own the “Bad” people in our organizations. Any time you have a “Bad” person in your organization, you need to take on the persona that this “Bad” person is my fault and I’m taking care of it.

Yes, “Bad is Stronger than Good” — and you have to fight hard against “Bad.”

Want to look and be better in HR? Own the “Must-Do Moves” in your organization.

Want me to come and tell you what other things your CEO wants HR to do? Contact me. I’m cheap – not free – but cheap.

This was originally published on Tim Sackett’s blog, The Tim Sackett Project.