Complexity and HR
Nature can often rival the complexity of human achievements, and examples of elaborate systems can be found throughout the world. For example, ant authority Bert Holldobler in his research discovered an intricate 50 square meter insect city built by the collective work of a multitude of ants rivaling the scope of the Great Wall of China (see the video.) As the ants created this complex city, they moved more than 40 tons of soil with individual ants carrying loads of up to four times their body weight across a distance in human terms of a kilometer. Holldobler used more than 10 tons of cement to fill in the subterranean ant colony and allow for a visualization of the complexity involved.
Humans have put astronauts on the moon, rovers on Mars, and explored the depths of the oceans. The collective drive and will of the people, if harnessed, can be used to achieve almost any goal. HR leaders manage complex relationships, processes, and technology on a daily basis. Great leaders focus on the need to align the strategic goals of the business with talent management. A task complicated by the inherent individualism of people and potentially exacerbated by the collective personality of millennials. HR professionals must find ways to engage with employees from a range of age groups, across different cultures, and different levels of technological comprehension and adoption in the workforce. While some systems may have to be complex, that is not always the case and any chance HR has to simplify processes and utilize technology can free up valuable time and effort to be used in more strategic avenues.
Join HCI for the webcast, People, Processes and Technology: How to Understand and Leverage Relationships for a Competitive Advantage, on May 8, 2013 at 1pm EDT to hear Kyle Osterman and Jeremy Langley of Lumesse debate the varying dimensions of complexity within talent management, its role in strengthening your business, and examine strategies for reducing confusion and using complexity for competitive advantage.