Human Resource's Best Friend

by Mario Alonso, Ph.D.

Human Resource personnel are right in the middle of all major, significant changes occurring in the workplace. They are asked to constantly adapt to waves of economic, bureaucratic, governmental, cultural, healthcare-related, and even geopolitical changes. They are asked to be technical experts on issues involving privacy, discrimination, economics, ergonomics, disabilities, benefits, compensation, performance, safety and security, hiring, firing, and last, but certainly not least, human relations. In my 25 years of interacting and consulting with business organizations, my sense is that life has become much more complicated for the HR professional.

A growing number of business organizations are realizing that the effective HR professional is not necessarily the one with the strongest aptitude for technocracy. Management in those companies takes the position that knowledge and skills in the more technical and legal areas can be acquired, individuals specializing in numbers crunching can be hired, and/or those functions can be outsourced. More frequently, the ideal HR professional is being seen as the one with the people skills and the emotional intelligence to deal with “the people problems” of the workplace.

Most of the HR professionals I come across, however, feel inundated by the weight and the complexity of managing “the human side” of the organization. Complaints cluster around five areas: (1) non-supportive or unenlightened senior management that cuts out training during difficult economic times or does not believe in the advantages of customized learning programs; (2) the emotional stress of dealing with employees’ emotional work issues such as job loss or co-worker and supervisor-direct report conflicts; (3) the helplessness felt when exposed to difficult employees’ personal life issues such as loss of a loved one or divorce; (4) the general employee morale issues caused by downsizing, and the effects of such national issues as the stress of terrorism and violence in the workplace; (5) their own job insecurity or lack of meaningfulness and purpose within the organization; and (6) their own struggles with life/work balance and personal fulfillment.

A growing phenomenon rising out of the significant needs of individual HR professionals is the HR executive coach.

The use of executive coaches for leadership development, succession planning, and derailment prevention has grown tremendously over the past decade. An executive coach is often used as a consultant or facilitator to senior management and executive teams. However, although potentially extremely valuable, the use of an executive coach to specifically assist an HR professional is not yet commonplace.

An executive coach with clinical training can help HR think through and prescribe effective interventions to resolve complicated, and even emotional labile, workplace conflicts. In my experience, these situations can range from how to deal with two co-workers who are constantly bickering and disrupting others’ workflow, to how to deal with severely depressed or threatening employees.
HR personnel in situations where the company is downsizing are under great personal stress. They relate their feelings of isolation, as other employees seem to purposely avoid them. Their co-workers see them as bearers of bad news. These HR personnel often suffer from guilt and question their professional purpose. Often, having no one to air and discuss these feelings with, these individuals internalize their emotions, resulting in such conditions as depression, irritability, fatigue, weight gain or loss, and stressed family relations. A well-trained executive coach can offer, not only support, but also suggestions and strategies on how to effectively deal with workplace and home conflict.

An executive coach can help HR personnel become a more influential member of the organization’s leadership team. HR clients often relate they feel powerless or insignificant. This may be a case where the individual can benefit from coaching sessions where new perspectives are generated that lead to key strategic suggestions to management. Sometimes the coaching work has to focus on how, when, and/or to whom the suggestions should be delivered. A coach with savvy in the realm of interpersonal relationships can help HR professionals navigate organizational politics and raise their professional value.

Major corporations are beginning to realize the necessity of developing a “learning organization” that cultivates its human resources and aligns diverse, individual employee goals, with the organizational vision. The HR professional must play a major role in these endeavors.

A significant number of HR professionals are realizing the value of executive coaching but often they have to pursue and pay for this kind of training on their own. Companies place executive coaches on retainer, usually from 1 or 2 days a week, to 1 or 2 days per month. Fees range from $6,000 to over $18,000 for a six-month contract. Few HR professionals can afford these fees privately. However, many feel that, for personal fulfillment and career enhancement, they need the service. They believe they can realize a great return on their investment. These individuals are hiring executive coaches by the hour, usually costing them about $350 to $500 per month.

Of course, the best situation is for the company to realize the value of HR executive coaching. In some cases, companies can apply for state grants that would cover this type of training. Most companies become more receptive to the idea once this possibility is mentioned.

In summary, an executive coach can be HR professional’s best friend. S/he can provide support to deal with the stresses of the job, guidance on maintaining a healthy life/work balance, perspective on organizational processes, strategies on presenting worthwhile training and learning projects, and psychological interventions to deal with employee relations and workplace conflict. The end result would be a more satisfied, emotionally grounded, and influential professional.

Dr. Alonso is founder and CEO of Metropolitan Consultation Associates, a psychological consulting group formed in 1981. He is a member of the Society for Organizational Learning, the American Psychological Association, local chapters of the Society of Human Resource Management, the American Society for Training and Development, and many other professional organizations. For more information or comments on this article, please click here.