Let me share what decades in HR has taught me about the way forward, preferably over a flat white at my favourite Melbourne café.
I remember sitting in a boardroom in Oman (talk about cultural awareness!) watching a young manager try to solve a complex workforce issue by staring at spreadsheets. “The data tells us everything!” he insisted. I smiled and asked, “Have you talked to your team leaders yet?”
That moment perfectly captures one of my core beliefs: while we need to embrace technology and data literacy (what I call the 3D approach: Data – Dialogue – Decision), we must never lose the human connection. It’s not either/or; it’s both/and.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen HR professionals get caught up in either extreme – some so focused on data they forget about the humans behind the numbers, others so relationship-focused they miss the strategic picture. The sweet spot? That’s where PET (People, Economics, Technology) comes in – seeing the big picture while keeping people at the heart of it.
I learned about emotional intelligence the hard way in those early mining days. The Left-Hand Column exercise taught me that what people aren’t saying is often more important than what they are. The Ladder of Inference showed me how quickly we jump to conclusions without testing our assumptions.
My time in Oman was a masterclass in cultural awareness. I thought I knew about diversity until I had to navigate HR Strategy in a completely different cultural context. It taught me that true cultural awareness isn’t just about knowing the customs – it’s about genuine curiosity and respect for different perspectives.
These days, when mentoring young HR professionals, I always emphasise the importance of leading with purpose (what I call ACE COP – Acknowledge, Creative, Empower whilst maintaining a sense of Control, Order, Predictability). Because at the end of the day, HR isn’t just about managing people – it’s about creating environments where people can do their best work.
You know what’s funny? The more technology advances, the more crucial these human elements become. As I often tell my younger colleagues, “The future of HR isn’t about choosing between high tech and high touch – it’s about mastering both.”
And that’s the real lesson from my journey: embrace the new while holding onto the timeless principles that make HR truly effective. Now, shall we order another coffee?
